Session 357 - A Cursed Well

General Summary

The Story So Far

Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle the things people fear most for a price.

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Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission; retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.

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They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.

This is the continuation of Session 355 - The Bringer of Fever.

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Location - City of Golotha in the Kingdom of Rethem.

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20^th Larane (Summer) 727TR

Part 1 – The Cursed Well

Lord Yenda Jundart, art by Artbreeder

Lord Yenda Jundart and his son, Sir Hexan Jundart, of the nearby Kelesa Manor, meet with the heroes. Their manor’s well has gone bad. The peasants are complaining, believing it is cursed, some moaning about the rotting smell, and water users report a mysterious illness and inability to work. Lord Yenda first thought they were only being lazy, but threats of beatings did not seem to get them to respond. Local healers seem to believe this sickness is not a disease and may be of supernatural origin. The exasperated lord will give the heroes and his brother a magical belt if they solve this problem.

Sir Hexan Jundart, art by Artbreeder

When questioned further about unusual incidences, Sir Hexan explains that a Morgathic missionary, Sungai (senior acolyte) Herzog, has been causing trouble, preaching, agitating, and instigating rebellion among the peasants. Lord Yenda explains that with the City of Golotha a being so close and ruthlessly dominated by a powerful Morgathic Hierarchy, it was too dangerous to deal with the priest. However, the preacher has not been seen at Kelesa village since the well went bad. Lord Yenda believes the lowlife cleric may have put a curse on the well.

Part 2 – Vipers

The heroes approach the well, located a little away from the main village. There are snakes in the grass, but they are quickly dispatched.

The well has a strange acrid smell, and the water some 20 feet below is moving. Grabbing a piece of a dead snake, Vinzent ties it to string and pole and tries to fish, then drops the well water. Something moves under the water, and an amorphous slime creature emerges, sticks out a tendril, garbs the snake meat, and disappears underwater. Vinzent lowers another snake piece, and as the slimy blob re-emerges, Ryobie and Ash unleash a barrage of weapons and alchemist fire. The creature is nearly obliterated and slinks off out of view.

Ryobi, followed by Ash, dives into the well after it. The slime is quickly dispatched, and another moves toward them. Although its acidic tendrils are a threat, it is also easily eliminated.

Part 3 – Sloth Demons

The corpse of the Morgathic priest Sungai Herzog floats nearby. He has stab injuries on his back, his money pouch is intact, and his ceremonial Hyadak Mask is broken. Vinzent detects residual magic in its shattered pieces. As the heroes investigate, Ash spots something moving behind a hole in the wall: a short, ugly, grossly fat demonic creature. He immediately identifies it as a Dretch or sloth demon. These wretched fiends can turn on their summoners if they perceive weakness and are known to create laziness. This must be the source of the peasant’s lethargy.

The demon is not alone; another hides in the other part of the caverns. They attack, and between bouts of stupor and frenzied aggression, they badly injure Ash. Vinzent’s magical healing saves his life from a series of bleeding, slashing wounds, quite different from the wounds that killed the priest. Eventually, Ryobi destroys the demons, and they disappear into green, smelly vapor.

Part 4 – The Real Culprit

The heroes assume the priest summoned the demons, lost control, and killed him. But something does not add up. Ash’s wounds from the Dretches bear no resemblance to the stab marks on the priest’s corpse. They look like they were produced by a spear or, more likely, a sword, and the only men with swords in the village are Lord Yenda and Sir Hexan.

The party leaves the well, dragging the corpse behind them, and goes to the manor house. They are incepted by an anxious Sir Hexan. They demand to know what really happened. Sir Hexan confesses that after preaching insurrection, he and the preacher got into an argument, which led to a fight. Hexan stabbed the priest in the back as he was running away, and Sir Hexan quickly disposed of the body down the well to avoid potential witnesses. The heroes are asked to keep Sir Hexan’s secret, and the knight swears he will owe them a favor. He does not want his father to learn about the incident. Ash speculates that the demons were contained in the mask and were released when the mask shattered in the fall.

The party informs Lord Yenda that the priest must have lost control of his summons, and the demons turned on him. After waiting a few days to confirm that the well is indeed free of the curse, the appreciative lord pays the heroes as agreed.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Lord Yenda Jundart, Lord of Kelesa Manor.

Sir Hexan Jundart.

Related Articles

Order of the Lord of Chaos.

Hyadak Masks.

Player Characters

Ryobi - Human - L2 Monk

Background - Temple Guard.

Archetypes - Barbarian.

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Ash - Human - L2 Thaumaturge

Background - Weaponcrafter.

Archetypes - Alchemist.

NPC Companion

Vinzent - Human - L2 Bard

Background - Cursed.

Archetypes - Blessed.

Next Session

Session 358 - A Curse and a Tavern.

Campaign

Monster Hunters

Protagonists

Ryobi

Ash

Report Date

30 May 2024

NPC Companion

Vinzent

He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances.

Vinzent, art by Artflow

Clan Jundart

The holders of Kelesa Manor, from the Sheriff of Zabinshire Shire.

Clan Jundart, art by Attacus