Chapter VIII: Shadow Over Ashenport Part 1
The 13th of Firedawn in the year 3250 C.R.
General Summary
After leaving Holly of Oathheath and her Freedom Riders behind, the adventurers take to horseback and begin travelling south following the Celinadian River The first week's journey was quiet and peaceful; quite the surprise when compared to the warning that Holly gave the travellers that the further south they travelled the more lawless the region becomes. Finding fresh water and food was not much a problem for the band of travellers since they stayed close to the river so they and their horses could drink the cool, clear water of the Celinadian River, as well as catch fish for food when necessary.
After four days travel, Duvall showed signs of being ill. He was shaking as if cold, and his tawny skin began taking on an ashen pallor. Duvall was a Dhampir; a half-vampire, a being that walked between the worlds of the living and the dead. He thirsted for blood from a living creature. Duvall told his comrades that he wished to hunt for wild game and would return with food soon. He felled a fawn in nearby woods with his bow, sank his fangs into the animal's neck and slaked his thirst. He returned with the carcass and the group ate well of venison by the fire. But they all knew something was wrong with their new companion.
At camp that night, Duvall revealed his origins to the group. He told them he was born of a vampire and human woman in Dornica, The Pirate Isles. His mother died giving birth, and Duvall searches for his sire in hopes that killing the blood drinker would free him of his curse. Allistar then shared his story, and that his name wasn't "Star," and revealed he was wanted for a crime that he didn't commit and might not ever be able to return to his home in Arindel.
Early that morning, a freak storm fell upon the region. The wind howled mercilessly, the rain fell in large drops that stung the skin, deafening thunder roared, lightning lit up the clouds, and those clouds turned the very sky black as night. Visibility was reduced to virtually nothing as the warriors could barely see their hands in front of their faces, their cloaks were in danger of being ripped from their bodies by the relentless winds that immediately extinguished all torches and lanterns. The wagon trail they followed became a quagmire of ankle deep mud. Two of their horses became terrified and broke away from the small caravan and fled, disappearing in the sheets of rain and darkness. The travellers searched for their steeds, but alas they were gone.
After some debate, and a failure to try and set up camp amidst the deluge, the four agreed to keep travelling south following the sounds of the rushing river, which after a handful of hours of the endless downpour, sounded dangerously close to overflowing the river's banks. The band of adventurers marched slowly, taking care to make sure their last two remaining pack horses did not lose their footing in the deep mud.
Without the visibility of Primus (the sun) in the sky, it was impossible to tell what time it was when the group crested a hill and saw the oukirts of what might have been a town outlined by brief flashes of lightning. The four ventured into the town and learned it was a fishing village. Here they hoped to find an inn and escape this terrible squall that seemed to show no signs of abating.
After finding a drenched lone local wandering an empty street, the band was informed the name of the village was Ashenport, and there would be an establishment called "The Smooth Sailing Inn and Tavern," where the beleagured adventurers could seek shelter for the night. They wandered into the Smooth Sailing Inn and saw the taproom was moderately busy. Taking a table near one of the two hearths, the adventurers sought to warm up and dry out as they took in their surroundings, while the storm still raged on outside.
Allistar spied three groups of what was likely fellow travllers; a Half-Elf woman with a tattoo of a golden leaf on her neck. She was surrounded by five human men and women all dressed in chain and leathers-obviously warriors or the like, and among their party stood a Halfling female dressed in similar gear. The second party was led by a human male dressed nicely, and accompanied by a total of eight human men and women who had the look of sellswords. Lastly, another human male that Allistar had quickly recognized as Lumenian. He did not have the large entourage of mercenaries, but instead was accompanied by two hulking Half-Orc women.
A serving girl named Relina, also obviously from Lumene', told the soaked travellers that Ashenport is typically bustling with packed streets this time of year. The village typically holds a merchant's bazzar, and merchants come from all over the Silver Shores to trade and barter for commerce rights to Ashenport's fishing trade, while others seek to purchase the treasures that wash up on the riverbanks or caught in fishing nets. The bazzar was going to be postponed until the storm broke and the three groups of merchants that kept to themselves were stranded at the inn; their misfortune for arriving in Ashenport a day early.
Allistar approached the halfing woman, and striked up a conversation. She told him her name was Myra Berrywine and she was a sellsword. She had been hiring on with caravan after caravan slowly making her way north to the Witchwood where her sister, Mona, disappeared some years earlier. Currently her employer was the half-elf, Terza of the Golden Leaf Consortium- a merchant's guild from Megiers. Terza had no interest in trading for fish, but instead sought an exclusive deal to sell the treasure dredged from the banks of the river. Myra revealed that the other group, as well as the trio of the Lumenian and the half-orcs, were merchants from other merchant guilds and companies as well.
After the adventurers finished their meals and drinks, they purchased two rooms and headed upstairs to rest for the night, hoping the storm would abate and they could resume their quest in the morning. Suspicious, Duvall used his unusual sensies and surmised that this storm was not natural. He reached out with his mystical powers and sensed the presence of something ancient and evil near the river town, some sort of abberation.
Something seemed fishy in Asheport and it wasn't the local export and trade of the village. Theolin Windsplitter and Allistar headed back down the inn's taproom, hoping to loosen some tongues with ale and get some inisight on Ashenport. Relina was cold to Theolin's questions and advances, and Allistar saw that the party that consisted of the Gold Leaf Consortium must have retired to their rooms. Allistar turned around and saw his fellow adventurer in an arm wrestling match with the half-orc bodyguards. Each match saw the loser chug a tankard of ale. Theolin was victorius because he could astonishly hold his alcohol better than the brutish women, and not long after the taproom emptied and everyone retired to their rooms.
Allistar and Duvall were awakened by a horrible sound. It was described as if someone was blowing a demonic horn made from a conk shell from deep within the bowels of hell. The sound must have woke Theolin and Mandrakus too, but they rose out of their beds in a trance like state, leaving their rooms and walking down the stairs back into the inn's taproom.
The half-vampire and halfling were awestruck by the sight of half a dozen of the other travelers leaving their quarters as well, and shuffling through the inn and out the door, in the same trance like state as their comrades. Making their way outside where the storm still raged on, the duo saw others that were marching mindlessly through the village streets, then watched helplessly as the people strode into the river and kept walking until their heads disappeared beneath the choppy waters. Theolin and Mandrakus looked like they were about to meet the same fate.
Rushing to their two compatriots, the duo woke them from their trance before they could succeed in drowning themselves in the Celinadian River. The group then were able to stop those who were walking towards the river before they met the same fate as those before them. Duvall not needing to breathe due to his undead like nature and possessing darkvision, dove into the river hoping to see what had happened to the bodies that must have perished here. But the silt that was river's floor was stirred up so much that Duvall could see nothing. Near as he could tell, those who wandered into the river to drown were now gone.
Character(s) interacted with
- Myra Berrywine-halfing warrior
- Relina-Lumenian barmaid
- The "Tusk Twins", Ogra and Jogra- half-orc sellswords
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