Session 12: The True Horror of Murrin

General Summary

The party found themselves exploring the Duskember Temple, forgotten deep in the mountains near Murrin. Having barely escaped with their lives against a trio of proto death knights, they group licked their wounds and entered the depths of the temple, unsure what they would find.
There was equipment worth their time, a Holy Avenger, as well as a smattering of other supplies. As they uncovered the secrets of the ancient temple, a voice called to them from behind. It was Markov Jut! The decrepit old man offered to aid them in return for a favor, they deliver a letter of confession to the monastery on the far side of the mountain should they escape the valleys in one piece.
The party agreed, and Markov led them across the valley to the lair of the First Sinner. Inside, they found piles and piles of bones and corpses of various kinds -- the Sinner is not picky in its prey. However, amongst the gore, off to the side as if in a place of honor sat a small skeleton of a young woman, well preserved. On its neck hung a necklace with the letters I-L-I-A. It appeared to be the corpse of Covar's sister-in-law, her husband supposedly lost in the months of the Long Winter. Could the monster actually be him?
Returning to their group of "squishies," the party found themselves being hotly pursued by the inhabitants of the valleys, led at the forefront by the beast known as the First Sinner. They trekked as quickly as they could towards the valley's exit, stopping just in time to set up a defensive position at the ruins of a holy camp of clerics and paladins -- former heroes to the valley and apparent past victims of the First Sinner. They held their ground as an onslaught of enemies attacked, culminating in the arrival of the horrific First Sinner itself. It's long, disgusting humanoid form bringing with it a stench to the air and a earsplitting howl, signaling to allies it had found its prey.
After a hard fought battle, the party vanquished the First Sinner. In a scream of agony, its form dissolved, an acrid smoke filling the air before settling on Covar. As the smoke filled his lungs, Covar fell to the ground, succumbing to his injuries in a coma of sorts. The group tried to wake him, but nothing seemed to help.
Desperate to escape the valleys, the group forged forward toward freedom. They were greeted by a final confrontation. The remaining villagers were unwilling to let the party escape without a fight! Ultimately, the group made their way to freedom, eventually arriving at a small, peaceful monastery on the far side of the mountain range.
It was there that the true horror commenced. The monks did what they could for Covar, but the blood curse from his brother's transgressions had passed on to him. Within days he would transform into a grotesque monstrosity just as his brother had. Not only that, but once he was put out of his misery with a strong painkiller, the curse passed on to Bianca as well. Ultimately it was Grumm who drew the short straw. When it became clear Bianca could not end things herself, Grumm finished things for her, as quickly as painlessly as he knew how. Even knowing it was a necessary evil, Grumm, the large hulking barbarian, was deeply unsettled by what he had to do. The group learned the hard way that the stakes of their adventures were incredibly high… and not everyone could be saved.

Report Date

30 Nov 2018