Session 382 - Cult Hunting
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 380 - A Pliable Idiot.
Location - Bekar Keep in the Kingdom of Rethem.
5th Morgat (Winter) 727TR
The heroes have discovered a note on the corpse of 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.” The heroes believe the Baron of Bekar, Sir Branal Orgatt is the pliable idiot.
Part 1 – Cult Hunting
Previously, this cavern was infested by giant spiders and had an ancient long-abandoned shrine to Morgath’s chief agent Klyss the Necromancer, which was destroyed by the heroes (refer Session 358 - A Curse and a Tavern ). They could easily use this to fabricate evidence of a cult if needed.
At the Leatherworkers Guildhall tap room, they speak with the tavern keeper, Ealf of Krol, asking permission to access the passage to the underground chambers. Initially, Master Ealf is resistant, but the heroes tell him they are searching for a hidden cult of Morgath worshipers, so with some hesitation, he relents. Some patrons in the tap room overhear the conversation and look at the party suspiciously.
The heroes enter the back room and find a sturdy door to the cavern, recently constructed. Making their way in, they close the door behind them, and Ash creates a crude alarm just in case they are followed. If anyone opens the door, a crate of glass bottles falls to the ground, creating a racket.
Part 2 – The Shrine of the Necromancer
The carven have been cleaned up, and much of the spider webs, except those at the far side of the chambers, have been removed. The party stealthfully moves in, and suddenly, they spot movement from the webs; giant spiders emerge. Not just any oversized arachnids; these are undead, still bearing the wounds the party inflected on them six months ago. The skittering corpses mob the heroes but are destroyed.
The large central cavern has changed; morgathic banners line the walls, and the statue of Kylss the Necromancer, which Ash enthusiastically broke into dozens of pieces, has been reassembled and partially repaired. A blood-splattered sacrificial altar next to a pit that reeks of decaying flesh. The whole chamber is unnaturally cold.
The heroes are surprised; they have found evidence of a Morgathic cult. Suddenly, something moves in the pit; a disgusting amalgam of sacrificial victims, mostly animals but a few human parts, crawls out. It nearly overwhelms the heroes with its stench and almost kills Ryobi with the acidic bile it spits. Nevertheless, our heroes prevail.
Part 3 - The cultists
Ash sets about again, smashing the statue of Klyss and scattering the pieces into the nearby underwater stream. Suddenly, they hear a crash. The alarm has been triggered; someone is entering the caverns.
The party hides and hears a familiar voice. “The spiders should have dealt with them by now.” Two men from the bar come into view, followed by the tavern keeper Ealf of Krol. The men looked shocked when they see the desecration of the statue, and the shrine. The party attack and their ambush is successful, catching them by surprise. Ealf has some dark magical powers, causing the flesh to necrotize, but he is knocked to the ground, and the two other cultists are cut down. Ryobi offers the tavern keeper the opportunity to surrender, but the head cultist decides oblivion is the better option. He is quickly killed.
Part 4 – The Saurach’s Key
The party calls in the Baron's guards, who swarm in and view the evidence of the cult and the dead bodies of Ealf and his cronies. As the heroes are escorted to the keep, the party carefully observes the reactions of the tap room's patrons. Several, including the cook, look somewhat guilty. More cultists, maybe?
The party asks after Saurach’s key, the actual reason the heroes visited Bekar. Baron Branal is eager to help, and in the effects of his great-grandfather, there is a small black box containing a key and a note. The note says Saurach's Vault is in a tower on Meril Island, a small islet on the nearby Lake Meril. The Baron is happy for the heroes to take the key but generously says he will take only 1 part in 3 of the treasures the vault might contain since Meril Island is on his lands and, technically, any valuables belong to him.
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
Another great session write up Attacus, I did find some corrections in your notes:
Route and Morgathic are both incorrect.
Replace: that they will route out a Morgathic Cult in his town.
With: that they will extirpate the Morgathian cult corrupting his town.
Typos:
Replace: Nevertheless, heroes prevail.
With: Nevertheless, our heroes prevail.
Replace: smashing the statue of Kyss
With: smashing the statue of Klyss
"Ryobi offers the tavern keeper the opportunity to surrender, but the head cultist decides oblivion is the better option. He is quickly killed."
It's a trick, get an axe Ash. Morgathians don't die, they undead, so you got to put them down like 13 more times. :DI am a bit concerned about the PC's actions and a potential plot hole. An Earl outranks a Baron and the Baron is most likely sub-infeudiated to the Earl; a Baron killing his Earl is a no no. The Earl would need to be tried in a Royal Court, even if it can be proved they worshipped Morgath, which I believe is legal in Rethem and a plot hole, unless the new King of Rethem outlawed it. The extra judicial killing is going to enrage Earl's family, and Baron Branal Orgatt is gonna have some serious 'spailin to do, can you say: SCANDAL! Plus the King will most likely here about one of his major tenants being bumped off making things even more complicated. Plus if the are PCs are not nobles and laid hands on a noble person they could be tried and declared outlaw. There are a lot of consequences here.
Thanks for the advice; I have duly corrected it. Yes, some Morgathic cultists have many unlives, but sadly, not this one. I burst into laughter at your comment on Earl Ealf. His family must have fallen on hard times. I assure you that there are lots of political shenanigans going on in the background, which will hopefully come out later.