March 2016
THE COMPANY
Eirikr, a Brimman Axiomar, a Liberated Prisoner --> Mortally Wounded by Animated Corpses of Frog-men
Orhan, a Wry Alfarn Spellsword
Osric de Mandeville, a Reckless and Fell-handed Dreaman Warden
- Bogusław, a Dwergar Warden of Hewflore
- Emyr, a Geating Explorer (in camp)
- Godric, a Geating Canon (in camp)
- Urien, a Weallack Canon Hailing from Carlton
Zephyros, a Scarred but Silver-tongued Ellasene Mage
- Ansger, a Loyal Dreaman Fighter
- Athelwine, a Geating Explorer from Acworth (in camp)
- Dudda, a Cheerful Geating Thief
- Fionnbharr, a Dim-witted Gallowglass (in camp)
- Henryk, a Dwergar Guard of Hewflore
- Wilburg, a Self-Confident and Sickly Apprentice (in camp)
- Xenocrates, a Cautious Ellasene Mage
NPC: Agapetos, a Horse-headed Beastman of the Sunken City, a Liberated Prisoner (in camp)
THE PAPERS OF OSRIC DE MANDEVILLE
The Tychite Monastery
[Osric finds a moment to pen a few words into his journal, while Zephyros discusses matters with Lady Osthryd’s household guards.]
It seems that the Lady has been missing for quite a while now too, and the guards were much friendlier this time. They are probably desperate, as they seem to know about the cult. Still, it’s a bit suspicious that they didn’t allow us to inspect all of their remaining soldiers…
The study didn’t hold any clues to where we could find our missing brethren or the Lady Osthryd, but we found another statue of this foul frog abomination hidden away like a cowardly thief in a small side room of Cowal’s abode. No religious texts could be found anywhere, but we found a book with weird scribbling in it that makes one’s head hurt.
There still seem to be some of the possessed in the town, but they are quiet for now after we clobbered their leaders and fellow cultists. The rest of the residents don’t seem to be too friendly either, but I think not all hope is lost for this place. With strong guidance and hard work, this community could very well become a beacon of hope in this vile swamp. We will visit the monastery next and, if the Maker wills it, let’s hope we find some holy water there.”
[After massaging his bruised shoulder, Osric continues his entry:]
More cultists were all that awaited us in the monastery. At first, everything seemed abandoned, perhaps only just before our arrival, as we made our way through the outbuildings. We found more mad scribblings in the some of the quarters; the cult must have been busy here for a while it seems. We then were forced to scale the walls to gain access to the main compound when a few cultists dared to show their faces by shooting at us with crossbows. Despite our disadvantaged position, we managed to drive them back and took the roof without any loss. Climbing down into the cultist-held garden seemed unwise, so we bashed a hole in the roof and entered through the ceiling.
This was when more cultists decided to press an attack. It was some righteous slaughter as, at one point, we had to stand on a heap of fallen foes to fight the waves of crazed frog daemon followers! Most of the cultists were ill-equipped rabble, so we only sustained a few bruises and minor wounds in vanquishing them. We hunted them down to the last man and woman, but still found no traces of the monks. We had to search for more clues.
In the study, copy room, and library, we turned up more vile books and statues of mutated frogs and frog-men but no hints regarding the missing wardens, monks, or reeve. After a long search, a secret tunnel was found that wasn’t very deep, but it was very long with many rooms dug out on each side. Some reminded me of animal pens, and others were like empty storage rooms, but there also was a grisly hall full of tables with corpses. It must have been some sort of laboratory: there were many corpses showing signs of experimentation, amputations, and transplanted frog parts, many grotesque and over-sized. The dead rose during our search; the resulting battle was surprisingly bloody affair.
The undead surrounded the group quicker than holy symbols could drive them back, forcing the whole group to retreat and spike the doors after I held them off as long as possible. A counter attack was prepared, and Zephyros, Xenocrates, and Orhan called many a berserkers from some Astral realm to aid us. Again, the undead proved to be more than a match, and only the Maker’s holy wrath and the clever use of an old scroll prevented the battle from ending in disaster. Eirikr the Axiomar fell, the zombies tearing his arm asunder, leaving his right hand useless.
I wonder if the monks are not the ones to blame for this whole mess. I suspect that these books were used to convert, or at least influence, the people studying here before they were shipped off to the caves. The escape tunnel coupled with the experimentation chamber also makes one think: Was it a route to get out of the monastery in case of an emergency? Or, was it to secretly enter without anyone else noticing? Who or what else was living down there?”
[Osric takes a deep breath while gazing into a candle flame thinking about what happened in the hours prior.]
“We have cleansed the monastery, but this place opens up more questions than it solves.”