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Post by General Spoon on Nov 30, 2013 3:34:30 GMT -6
The collapsed sections completely block the farther passage, creating a small, secure alcove where Auren Vrood has set up his tent to command the Whispering Way’s agents in Feldgrau. The interior of the tent is lined with eight small vivisection tables, some still cruelly holding twitching animals pinned to the tables in various states of grisly surgical inspection. Near each is a small easel
holding a stretched canvas on which is painted a masterfully executed watercolor of the subject matter. The paintings include detailed notes about operations performed upon the specimens and their reactions.
In addition to his paintings, only a few of Vrood’s personal items remain, spread out upon a table: some long steel pins; carving tools; a candle; paints and brushes; and a tray with ash, hair, bits of cloth, and other scraps of seemingly mundane items.
------
You find a leather satchel below a table; it contains an elaborate bone scroll tube. This scroll tube contains some sort of macabre poem. You can study it with linguistics.
There is also a locked chest (DC 30 disable device). It contains 50 lb of silver dust worth 250gp, and a scroll of control undead in a plain leather scroll case. Also inside the chest is a bag of holding (type III). The bag contains: 227pp, 12,320gp, 5,462sp, and 10,694cp. It also contains 3 well-cut red rubies (each worth 500gp), a silver and emerald necklace (worth 1,000gp) three pearl rings (each worth 300gp), and onyx gems worth 5,000gp. There is also a silver mirror worth 1,000gp. There is also a journal written in Necril. The items the Whispering Way has been collecting are nowhere to be found.
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The Poem
Upon the ashen pathways tread
Softly, as the whispered dead.
As mortal flesh doth rot and fail
To leech and maggot, ebbing frail.
Unhallowed words cannot be spoken,
With whispered oath, death lies broken.
Shed fear, shed life, shed pain, shed time,
Eternity seized shall soon be thine.
First spirit torn from Grave-Lady’s grasp
Be rent and sown as soured ash.
Soft the spiral song reverses,
Judgment lost, damnation surges.
Keeper of the damned’s soul take,
With packlord’s heart the beast shall wake
And flesh be wrought in disarray—
Stillborn cocoon, to blessed decay.
A hundred slain lie innocent,
Grind bone and marrow to cement.
Craft now a skull of splintered graves,
Unmake life, unmake the slave.
Where history churns dream to blister,
Necrophagous secrets whisper
Through chronicles of Raven’s tongue—
A legacy of fear unspun.
Blood spilt atop the Iron Thorn
Invokes that which cannot be born.
Arise the Tyrant now unbound,
Bearer of the Carrion Crown!
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You have all leveled up one level; to 9 for PCs, and to 7 for Kendra.
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Post by General Spoon on Nov 30, 2013 11:28:06 GMT -6
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Post by General Spoon on Nov 30, 2013 12:12:06 GMT -6
Ardis, Thrushmoor, Karcau, Caliphas, or Lepidstat is where you can go to get Resurrections.
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Post by General Spoon on Nov 30, 2013 14:14:01 GMT -6
Hektor knows Necril, so, here are the contents of the journal:
7 days ago: Arrived at Feldgrau. Many of the structures contain hauntings. Even after all these years, the dead remember what happened to them here. Perhaps moreso than the one survivor of Neska's slaughter of this town does. It was a long time ago, and much has changed, though not at Feldgrau. Work has begun. The mass grave is being exhumed, and the remains therein are being animated.
6 days ago: Most of the hauntings were forcibly exorcised today. A few score of skeletons have been animated. Additionally, enough bones were collected for our purposes. They will be ground down through the night by our undead. Our sisters tell us that there is an approaching threat to our plans here. Two threats, in fact. Werewolves from the Shudderwood, and some unknown enemy.
5 days ago: I have set the bone paste into shape. It will be hardened on the morrow, and ready for transport. Our sisters looked to the Pallid Princess again today, for further advice. She wished us to know that the unknown enemy is a group of adventurers who have been following us for a time. She also wishes for us, her faithful, to know that it contains a paladin.
4 days ago: The skull is hardened this morning. It has been placed alongside the keeper's soul and the packlord's heart. They have been given to one of our riders. The other rider has been given the green sea idol. They will part ways at Thrushmoor. The former to bring his delivery to Adivion; the other to make the exchange.
The werewolves arrived today. We lost only a few of our own; they lost many. They have retreated to the abandoned mill to lick their wounds. The Pallid Princess tells us that one of the gravest threats in the adventuring party is indeed the paladin; the paladin is to be thoroughly dangerous with a bow. If they use any elemental magic, it can be presumed it will be electricity.
3 days ago: A blizzard has begun today. Visibility is low. The werewolves have attempted to venture out, but have been beaten back.
2 days ago: The adventuring party arrived today. The blizzard has remained ongoing. Unable to discern their location, they were able to seriously cripple us here. The only consolation is that they have also eliminated the werewolves.
1 day ago: Blizzard is ongoing.
The adventuring party has more or less eliminated all members remaining in Feldgrau today. Only myself and one of our sisters, Tiffany, remain, excepting my guard. Even Acrietia is gone. The Princess has told Tiffany the hour this adventuring party will arrive at the tower tomorrow.
There is a silver lining to this adventuring party. I will not commit it to paper though, lest my journal fall into their hands.
Tiffany has used sending magic to make a report, and has departed to deliver a more complete one to Avidion. I needed to tell her what we have been doing here and what we intend, but no matter. She will do well.
I await your coming adventurers. How will you look, twitching on my tables? How will your guts wobble as they are poked?
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One of Vrood's paintings is a fanciful illustration of a rider wearing a dark cloak, astride a pale steed. Beneath, it is titled "Dark Rider".
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Post by General Spoon on Nov 30, 2013 17:41:22 GMT -6
Hektor purchased spellcasting services for a casting of sending in Carrion Hill.
Hektor Pulrissium says: Whispering Way near Shudderwood neutralized. Auren Vrood leader, journals contain important information. Three accomplices fell in combat, requesting resurrections in Thrushmoor. They earned it.
"Bring money for compoments as per usual. Aurus accepted into ranks last month; bringing to see old man. Meet at northside inn. Elaborate on arrival."
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Post by ullarwarlord on Dec 2, 2013 12:55:34 GMT -6
12:52 GeneralSpoonTablet ullar
12:52 GeneralSpoonTablet before the party is ressurected hektors superiors
12:52 Ullar yo
12:52 GeneralSpoonTablet hear what he has to say and tell him he is
12:53 GeneralSpoonTablet making it too personal
12:53 GeneralSpoonTablet and that his son is able to distance himself enough
12:53 GeneralSpoonTablet and ressurct the party, and . leave with hektor
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet leaving behind aurus for him to both
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet watch their interests by being there
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet and for his own growth
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet hektor gone
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet party alive
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet this is how things are
12:54 Ullar so we start post-book thing in the thread now?
12:54 GeneralSpoonTablet if you could cp this to
12:55 GeneralSpoonTablet the post book 3 thread for me
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 2, 2013 19:04:31 GMT -6
Several days later, in a room in an inn in Thrushmoor. Duristan, Mary, Minerva and Bill are sitting in the common room downstairs, waiting. Three men arrive, a tall man, an old man, and a young man. They go the the aforementioned room. Inside the room is Matt and Hektor, along with the bodies of Akiani, Clarissa and Kendra. Hektor and the young man greet each other. The tall man listens to what Hektor has to relate to him, while the old man begins to return life to Kendra. Her eyes open, and she sits up, and looks as if she is about to cry when she sees Akiani and Clarissa. However, the old man comforts her, assuring her that they will be alright.
The old man moves onto Clarissa. Hektor finishes speaking to the tall man. As Clarissa returns to life, the tall man says, "Hektor, you are involved in this too personally, and are not able to distance yourself emotionally." The old man moves to Akiani, and begins to bring her back to life. The tall man continues, "You will come back with us Hektor. There is also work elsewhere for the Knights of Ozem. Aurus," he says, looking at the young man, "you will go with these people for a time. It will be good for you."
As Akiani's eyes open and she sits up, Kendra embraces her in a hug. The tall man, the old man, and Hektor leave. The man Aurus remains behind.
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hd
Member
Posts: 93 
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Post by hd on Dec 2, 2013 20:07:36 GMT -6
"I much prefer my current state of half-death than the full thing."
"It's pretty dreadful."
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Post by theangryscientist on Dec 2, 2013 20:31:02 GMT -6
"I don't know about that, you've been much better and quieter company these last few days."
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 2, 2013 20:48:18 GMT -6
"Stay that way then," Kendra whispers, and gives Akiani a quick peck on the cheek before turning and asking Matt, "What happened? Where are we? What happened to Vrood? Is he dead?"
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Post by temperantia on Dec 2, 2013 20:52:47 GMT -6
"Stupid death spells, we should really prepare next time before charging head first into a fight with a necromancer... Akiani.
Still, I'm just glad you guys saved us... I'm sure it was pretty expensive..."
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Post by theangryscientist on Dec 2, 2013 20:56:24 GMT -6
"Vrood is dead, yes. That Hektor guy managed to finish him off. We're in an inn in Thrushmoor; according to a journal we found after killing Vrood, some of the Way came by here, and hopefully we'll be able to pick up their trail." *shows Kendra the journal* "It's apparently written in Necril; Hektor managed to translate it."
edit: @clarissa: "It was, but the money we found afterwards more than covered the cost, and we have plenty of things to sell anyway."
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Post by temperantia on Dec 2, 2013 21:21:45 GMT -6
"Oooh! Let me read, I'm fluent in Necril!
...Ugh! Hektor's translation notes are useless. That symbol doesn't have a Common counterpart and this whole section reads far better untranslated..."
Clarissa continues muttering to herself poring over the journal
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 2, 2013 22:02:49 GMT -6
"Thank you for that, Matt. I'll see if I can do anything for that curse you have, now that we're in town," Kendra says, "You're certain Vrood is dead?"
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Post by theangryscientist on Dec 2, 2013 22:17:12 GMT -6
"He's as dead as we could make him, though I suppose it's a possibility that the Way might revive him."
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 3, 2013 7:14:11 GMT -6
"I don't think they will. I'm glad we killed him," Kendra smiles, and kisses Akiani on her lips briefly before letting go of her, and goes over to the items taken from Vrood's pavilion, continuing, "Let's see what else we have here. Some sort of poem? Clarissa, why don't you come over here, and I help you take a look at this,"
As Clarissa comes over, Kendra turns toward Aurus, as if seeing him for the first time, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry; we haven't been paying any attention to you at all. Who are you?"
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Post by ullarwarlord on Dec 3, 2013 12:54:59 GMT -6
The man smiles.
"Hi there...I don't want to interrupt the happy reunions. My name's Aurus - I'm Hektor's son. I'll be replacing him, and accompanying your group for the time being.
Don't mind me, I'm just here to help you guys out when you need it."
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Post by theangryscientist on Dec 3, 2013 17:32:04 GMT -6
"So what was the afterlife like? I can't help but be curious."
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 4, 2013 17:48:32 GMT -6
"I don't really remember anything, other than it was pleasant, but that none of you were there with me."
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Post by General Spoon on Dec 5, 2013 22:33:23 GMT -6
After a minute or two, Kendra gets up, and sits by Akiani again. "Are you alright? You're being unusually quiet."
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