Session 380 - A Pliable Idiot
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 what people fear most for a price.
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.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
This is the continuation of Session 376 - Icy Embrace.
Location - Bekar Keep in the Kingdom of Rethem.
5th Morgat (Winter) 727TR
The heroes have discovered a note on the corpse of the Order of the Pillar of Fire priest saying that he had discovered the location of Saurach's Prayer Book. The priest was to meet his brother at Bekar, so they “Can twist that pliable idiot to get the key.”
Intrigued, Ryobi investigates. The Order of the Pillar of Fire is a rival to his organization. The heroes have been to Bekar Keep before, cleaning out a spider-infested underground cavern and destroying a shrine dedicated to the demigod Klyss the Necromancer, chief lieutenant of the god of chaos and evil Morgath (refer to Session 358 - A Curse and a Tavern). However, the heroes have no idea who his pliable idiot is and what the key opens.
Part 1 - The Idiot
Asking the patrons who is the village idiot, all they get is smirks and laughter, but no one is willing to name the local fool. However, the heroes have been noticed. The Baron’s guards arrive and escort them to the Keep.
He has a delicate problem; some peasants from the nearby Hamlet of Goke have reported three strange characters arriving from Quste's direction and starting to work in the fields. They shamble instead of walking, look sickly, and work the same small patch of field almost mechanically, never taking rest, even working through the night. The villagers stay clear of these dangerous-looking figures, but carrion birds seem to flock around them.
Baron Branal asks for help. If they are undead, they need to be destroyed. However, he needs the work done discreetly; Goke is not part of his barony, held directly by the King whose representatives has shown no interest in investigating this problem. The heroes exaggerate the risk of these undead and quickly drive up the price for the job. They soon realize who the pliable idiot is.
Part 2 - The Walking Dead
Goke is not far away, and the heroes arrive before sunset, finding the abandoned field in question. Ravens are everywhere surrounding the three gaunt men, who look worse for wear. Their sun-bleached skin is peeling off their bones, and they are covered in flies. Undoubtedly, these are undead. The Gulmorvin stop their pointless digging and look at the heroes as they approach. Almost in weapon range, one of the undead's teeth begins to chatter, and they all lurch forward in unison. They are tough brutes, bodies ignoring grievous wounds that would kill the living, but eventually are cut down, and their rotting bodies suddenly turn to dust.
The ravens become agitated and swarm the heroes, tearing at their exposed skin with claws and beaks, but the swarm is soon dispersed. With the threat dealt with, the heroes report back to the Baron.
Part 3 – A New Threat
The grateful Baron rewards the party as agreed. Aware of Sir Branal's paranoid concerns that Moragthic cults are working in the area, the party decides to play on this fear and volunteer to root out the cult. Once the Baron owes the party a favor, they expect to ask him about the Saurach's Prayer Book and this key.
Previously, the heroes cleared out the caverns under the Leatherworkers Guild. This would be a good starting point to "find" a cult.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Sir Branal Orgatt - the Baron of Bekar
Ealf of Krol - Tavern Keeper.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L6 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - Barbarian.
Ash - Human - L6 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - Alchemist.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L6 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - Blessed.
Next Session
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances and bad luck.
Clan Orgatt
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