Session 236: Needfest

My tale begins as the revelries of Needfest continue. Whimsical masks are made of various materials (cloth, feathers, painted wood) and for one night, townsfolk act in ways that are contrary to the normal social order. Children boss around their parents, farmhands mock their employers, and some high-status villagers behave in wild and uncharacteristic ways that they are sure to deny in the morning. A "Lord of Orlane" was selected to preside over the festival, not by popular vote, but by chance. This year, a single black bean was placed in a bowl filled with white beans and one by one, each villager drew a bean until the black one was pulled. The chosen one was dressed in a garish and oversized cloak and was sat in a "throne" and forced to settle silly disputes and grievances from any who wished to speak up. I, myself have been appointed as Lady of Orlane no fewer than three times over the years. This year the unlucky fellow was none other than Finn Thistlebrook, a jovial lad who has recently taken over the family apple orchard that has been the backbone of many a festival as it supplies the fruit for fine casks of cider and delicious apple tarts. He presided with good humor as he ruled over some matters of dubious import. Celia Wren brought a case against her neighbor Doran Kestral to see if the Lord would stipulate that Doran's noisy rooster was disturbing the peace. Finn thought a moment as he glanced at his cousin Doran and declared that "it is at the owner's discretion". Then, Torvald Whitmore wondered aloud whether the ale that had been sold to him from one of the local vendors could still be called ale when it was clearly watered down. Lord Thistlebrook called upon an expert with discerning taste, Sergius the Dwarf, to make the judgement. Sergius took a large gulp from the flagon and declared the drink nothing more than "flavored water!" A mighty cheer arose and some sidelong glares were cast toward the beverage cart where most of the patrons immediately stepped out of line. Next, Cedric Landry spoke up and complained that Briony Frost had not paid him for his work clearing gophers from her field. Briony stated indignantly that Cedric had spent the afternoon asleep beneath an oak tree and had only killed two gophers. Finn nodded sagely and declared that Cedric was owed his pay because although he had napped, the man had indeed shown up and done the job asked of him. Briony dug into her purse and produced a few coins with a sour expression. Cedric ran off with glee to patronize one of the ale stalls. Lastly, a cry came from somewhere deep in the crowd that adventurers should be taxed for bringing trouble into the town with them. Low murmurs turned into boisterous chatter that then solidified into a chant of "tax! tax! tax!" With a wide grin on his face, Finn declared that all adventurers should indeed pay a tax of five gold pieces each for the burdens and hardships they seem to track back in to town, not unlike dirt on their boots. Gnorcia took great displeasure in this ruling, wondering why she should be punished for her repeated rescue of the town and good work in the barrow maze. Doran Kestral hollered out drunkenly that the adventurers were the reason his roosters were so noisy. Bram Halloway voiced his concern that the adventurers would eventually infect the village with a plague carried in from who knows where. Mayor Zacharias spoke up with a hollow voice that much has been both gained and lost from the exploits of the Saviors of Orlane. That dampened the tone somewhat, but seemed to settle the matter. 

Each of the adventurers paid up and returned to their chosen diversions. Most of the party removed their masks and go to sleep, but Lhoss and Sergius slept with theirs on. Lhoss was raised with the tradition of Elwynn, the elven fairy of Needfest who rewards those who show their enthusiasm in participating in the frivolities of the festival. Sergius, I think, was too drunk to remove his mask at the end of the night. Regardless, both Lhoss and Sergius were rewarded with a strange piece of silver under their pillow that when held calls to mind a bird for Sergius and a loom for Lhoss. The festival continued with singing and drinking and exchanging of gifts, particularly to those who suffered losses during the year. Lalie received carved wooden spoons, Tatania received patches of dyed cloth, Lhoss received some pickled onions, Gnorcia received some peach preserves, and Sergius received some sharpened tools. On the last day, candles were lit, bells were rung, while villagers of Orlane remembered the events of the year and the festival came to a close. Several party members stayed up late to see the sun rise on the new day, then retired for some rest.

Lhoss and Tatania used their skill to identify some magic items. Lhoss examined the cursed spell book that growled at her. To her delight, the growling was simply an affectation and the book posed no ill-will. Indeed, it was an incredibly valuable spell book that was inscribed with every second-level spell known to magic users. It also contained Baltrun's Effusive Blood Boil, Drixom's Purple Haze, Galaxina's Scintillating Spark Shower, and Vitheria's Vengeful Visage. Tatania then examined the lizard scale spell book. It did have a curse which was that it will attract reptiles and reptile-like monsters as long as it is in this physical plane. It was constructed with leather lizardman's scales and had silver fittings. Tatania was delighted to discover that it contained every level-one magic user spell.

Feno claimed the gloves of dexterity. The rest of the group considered their finances and decided to travel to Hochoch in order to sell some items to raise funds for the group. In the meantime, Armatzi, Lalie, Lhoss, and Titus sought out the mayor of Orlane, Zacharias. The mayor's behavior was still somewhat off since his return to town and the group was seeking out a way to help. The mayor received the party in a somewhat detached manner. Armatzi addressed the mayor in an attempt to connect, but Zacharias just stared into the flames of the fire. Lalie cast detect evil, but none was found. After about ten minutes, the mayor turned to Armatzi and shed a tear. Lalie introduced herself and asked Zacharias to share what he experienced during his departure from Orlane. The mayor absentmindedly got up and stirred a pot of porridge. Titus asked the mayor if he has permission to cast a spell. The mayor began to protest the need for such a thing but then trailed off. Titus, taking control of the situation, cast remove fear. Slowly, some life seemed to come back to Zacharias' eyes. He seemed to remember his manners and invited the party to sit and eat with him. Slowly, he began to regain some spark of personality and chatted about the festival. Lalie once again asked about his experiences away from Orlane but he declined to elaborate. Zacharias gave Titus a heartfelt thank you and invited the holy rollers (plus Lhoss) to visit again. He seemed much improved, even if he's not completely recovered.

The next morning, the entire group set off for Hochoch. They traveled through a cold early Fireseek day and encountered a group of trappers on the road. Lalie approached them to inquire about their wares, but they were standoffish and brisk. They seemed unwilling to sell their pelts which made Lalie suspicious so she cast detect evil on them. She didn't sense that they were evil, but based on their demeanor, she gave up and left them alone. They quickly moved on. Then the party heard some hoof sounds headed toward them. They made way for three mounted messengers headed swiftly to Orlane. Lalie hailed them and while they took notice of her, they pressed on. The party continued in their own direction toward a hostel where they will spend the night.

Now, I am still worn out from the frivolities of Needfest, so your old storyteller is off for a nap! I remain your humble servant,

Vilma

 

Session 235: Bathtime

Lalie and Aila, Gnorcia and Pella, Lhoss, Tatania, Feno, and Sergius find themselves with the decision of whether to explore the two greenish-brown pools within the barrow. All of the remaining areas have been explored and cleared, so there are no excuses to put off the decision any longer. Lalie is intrigued by the waters and takes off her glove to test the temperature with her hand. Gnorcia, seemingly emboldened by Lalie's action does the same. The two comment that they don't feel any different, but Tatania notes that they are still fully clothed. While Gnorcia and Lalie discuss whether it would be wise to test the waters, Lhoss looks on idly and comments that she would never be brave enough to strip down as is depicted in the murals and bathe in the murky water. Lalie seems to interpret Lhoss' offhand comment as some sort of challenge and orders Feno and Sergius out so she can run a proper experiment. Feno dutifully disappears into one of the rooms and shuts the door. Sergius walks into another room, but keeps peeking his head out until the women all shout at him to give them some privacy. 

Lalie immediately strips off her armor and clothing and submerges herself in the lower pool with Gnorcia hot on her heels. The effect is immediate and noticeable to both the bathers and onlookers: an eye that appears less keen and a jaw that is slightly more slack; these two seem to have lost a shade of their intelligence! Gnorcia declares that she is feeling a little dumb, so why not do something a little dumb? She scrambles out of the lower pool and immediately plunges into the upper pool. It is as though a cobweb is immediately swept from the corner of her brain as Gnorcia seems her old self again. Except, she seems shinier somehow? I mean, she's not attractive, but for a gnome, she's slightly comelier. Lalie joins Gnorcia in the upper pool and exhibits the same mini transformation. It's difficult to pin it down, but Lhoss has an increased level of trust and respect for Lalie. 

Tatania may have been reluctant to be the first one in the water, but after seeing what has transpired, strips and dunks herself in the upper pool. Unfortunately, she sees no change in herself from the experiment. True to her word, Lhoss does not even consider the task. The men are called back into the main chamber and the women recount their success/failure from bathing. The men declare it is their turn and shoo the women out of the room. Sergius climbs into the upper pool and Feno the lower one. They experience nothing. They switch pools but still feel nothing. Feno notices that the mosaics that had depicted bathing figures have disappeared, leaving blank walls behind. Disappointed, they dry off and all head back out into the marsh.

The party walks around the barrow marsh, looking at mounds they haven't explored before. They find a covered mound that would take too long to dig out. Next they encounter a sealed tomb but are perhaps too afraid to attract unwanted attention with the noise that breaking down the door would cause. They then come upon a cover stone that appears to have been removed with a rope and horse (judging by the drag path and horse tracks left behind). The group peeks in and observes a 15' x 15' chamber with a disturbed sarcophagus and a mummy lying face-down on the ground. Gnorcia nudges the mummy with her toe with thankfully no response and Lalie uses her skill to passively detect evil and, even more thankfully, senses none. Tatania is clicking her tongue at whomever left the mummy in such a disrespectful state and is contemplating restoring the mummy to its sarcophagus when Lhoss catches a glint of gold. She carefully scoops up a gold ring on the tip of her dagger, Gary, while Tatania casts detect magic and, unfortunately, detects none. With this small treasure, they all decide to head back to Orlane.

Feno has caught word that Alan Clayborne has returned from his journey to find the Mayor. Feno and Lhoss head to his house to speak to him, but he is not home. They first try the Slumbering Serpent as it's the closest inn to Alan's home, but he isn't there. Lhoss visits briefly with Belba, largely to assuage the side-eye glances from the inns' patrons. Belba kindly informs the two elves that Alan generally frequents their own Foaming Mug Inn. Of course! Sure enough, Alan and his wife are in the common room of the Foaming Mug. As Lhoss and Feno approach, Alan seems eager to share is news but hesitant because it's not exactly good news. Alan found the mayor, but something seems off. The mayor was willing to speak to Alan and even come back to Orlane, but he had a strange emotional detachment. He didn't smile and there didn't seem to be any light behind his eyes. What strange depression, ennui, or trauma is tormenting the dear mayor?

The next morning is the beginning of Needfest. The party decides to stay in town for the holiday. Townsfolk are buoyed by the festival with all sorts of gatherings and celebrations. They mayor even joins in, though his demeanor is not much changed. The children of town put on a play portraying the brave actions of the Saviors of Orlane. Feno is pleased his own depiction while Lhoss is positively delighted to be shown in such a glowing light. Each afternoon, Lhoss and Tatania meet up to dig through the bag of holding and identify a few of the magic items. On one evening, seemingly all of Orlane gathers for a potluck where everyone contributes what they can to the feast. Lhoss assists in baking some bread, Feno contributes a delicious wheel of cheese, and even Gnorcia uses a freshen cantrip to crisp up some apples that had started to go a little soft. It is a cheerful night filled with food, drink and dancing. Your old Velma had her fill of wine and cut a rug. With that joyful memory, I leave you until next time,

Vilma

Session 234: Hair today, gone tomorrow

This report chronicles the events of the expedition into a barrow within the Barrow Marsh on the 28th day of Sunset, between the hours of 9:30 and 11:00 in the morning.

The golden goblet called to the party from the short pedestal. It looked enticing, yet menacing. Lhoss inspected it for traps and Niki tested the liquid inside and determined it was not poison. It also did not appear to be evil in nature or possess any magical enchantments. The liquid inside was viscous, green, and familiar. Lifting the goblet to transfer it into a glass bottle that could be sealed, it became evident to the party that they were dealing with that substance well-known to them: green slime. To be sure, Tatania sprinkled a few crumbs of bread into the goblet. The slime reacted instantly. It bubbled up violently, doubling in volume. The goblet itself was appraised to be worth 345 gold pieces and featured a unique non-metallic interior coating that seemed to resist the slime’s corrosive properties.

The party quibbled a bit about how best to handle the situation. They had obviously dealt with green slime numerous times in the past and were being overly cautious about handling it and making sure that the vessel they intended to transfer the glop into would be capable of safely containing the dangerous liquid. The room seemed to grow impatient with their slow decision-making. Suddenly, it began to rain indoors, causing the slime to grow further. Several members of the party retreated outside of the room, but a stubborn few persisted, trying to find a way to decant the slime and recover the goblet. Soon after, the temperature skyrocketed, reaching intense, furnace-like heat. As the rest of the party retreated and closed the door to seal off the heat, they witnessed the glass bottle shatter and the golden goblet melt into a bubbling pool of gold. It almost seemed as though some trickster had set a supernatural trap that sprung when the adventurers tried to claim the goblet.

Continuing north through the marshy interior, Gnorcia accidentally stepped into a pool of peat water but was dried by a companion's magic. The party encountered a locked northern door rigged with a thin wire trap. Lhoss climbed the wall to disarm the mechanism, which triggered a massive four-foot stone block to slam down on the opposite side of the portal. Once the door was unlocked and the block bypassed, the group entered a large crypt.

The new chamber contained numerous burial alcoves and two large wooden statues with antlers. While the party began searching the alcoves, an evil presence was sensed behind a western door. Suddenly, the door burst open, and two sons of Gaks (horrid, worm-infested creatures) attacked. The monstrosities were swiftly vanquished through a combination of magic missiles, martial prowess, and a holy mace that reduced one to a puff of magic.

Peace was short-lived as an explosion rocked the southern end of the tomb, and smoke began pouring into the chamber. The southern door was incinerated, and a funeral pyre zombie emerged. During the skirmish, the zombie was levitated into the air by Lhoss to neutralize its mobility. When struck by magic, it burst into flames, burning away its flesh before being shattered into bone fragments. Simultaneously, the two wooden statues in the room animated into wood golems. In the ensuing melee, the golems were destroyed, though the dwarf Sergius unfortunately had his beard singed by the flames of the burning constructs.

Following the battles, a thorough search of the eight rotting wooden sarcophagi revealed several notable items: a suit of dwarven-sized chain mail, a winged helm, a longsword and a medium-sized kite shield bearing a red, white, and blue chevron, a pair of rusty silver thimbles, a sunflower statuette, a picnic basket, a scandalous piece of black lingerie, a bag containing 45 gold pieces, a potion of extra healing, and a small red bottle containing a "hair restore tonic". Sergius was quite distraught over the reduction of his magnificent beard and seemed distrustful of the tonic. It took much convincing from the rest of the group, but Sergius applied the magical tonic to his damaged facial hair He was much relieved when it successfully restored his beard to its former flowing glory.

Session 233: Lhoss and Tatania expand their powers

It is Day 27 of Sunsebb. Lhoss and Tatania find that spells have been acquired by the group that allow them to cast the Identify spell (provided they transcribe the spell into their spell books and have the requisite components - which they do and they buy). As they are both more skilled spell-casters than Duerom, they are able to cast the spell more times with greater accuracy. The duo sets to work identifying a backlog of magic items.

The first identified item was Gauntlets of Dexterity, which increase the wearer's dexterity score. They also examined a magical hand axe, though its specific combat bonuses were not fully revealed during the session. The party also identified several potions: two clear potions were identified as Potions of Health, which completely cure diseases like mummy rot, blindness, and infection but do not restore hit points;  a golden liquid with silver flecks was identified as a Potion of Treasure Finding which allows the drinker to locate large treasure hordes (at least 10,000 coins) within a 240-foot range; lastly all iridescent blue liquids in the group's possession were confirmed to be standard healing potions.

Next, Lhoss picked up some scrolls to cast Identify on them, but it was unnecessary as she was able to read the spell names and identified several one after another. The first discovery was two powerful clerical scrolls. One contained four 7th-level spells (control weather, conversion, exaction, and holy word), and the other contained two 4th-level spells (sticks to snakes and imbue with spellability). Next, a scroll containing magic missile was identified, written at a 7th-level caster power. Lastly, a Scroll of Protection from Undead was identified. This scroll specifically protects the reader from zombies. Pity, as this is a fairly low-level undead creature that the group doesn't seem to have any trouble handling on their own. 

Finally, Lhoss turned her power to identify a spell component (some gray dust). It was identified as Dust of Disappearance. The party has three packets of this dust, which makes creatures almost entirely undetectable and grants significant combat bonuses. I was thrilling to discover the true value of so much treasure being unknowingly hauled around in the bag of holding.

Lalie returned to the group in Orlane after being resurrected by her family in Veluna. While she appears unchanged, the "cost" of her resurrection remains a secret she is unwilling to share.

On the cold morning of Day 28 of Sunsebb, Feno, Sergius, Gnorcia, Tatania, Lhoss, Lalie, and Aila headed out to explore the barrow mound. During their travel back to the barrow marsh, the party noted that the decay in the Dim Forest has halted or slowed significantly. They observed a bizarre magical pattern: exactly every 10th tree appeared restored to complete health, while the others remained rotted, except for every 10th 10th tree (or 100th tree) which was not restored but rotted. Strange.

The party decided to dig out a mound and spent several hours excavating the entrance. Both Lalie and Aila pronounced the task to be below their stations. While shoveling, Feno "accidentally" flung some dirt in their directions. The task was most exhausting, but upon entering the dry crypt, they discovered two pools of brown, peat-colored water that radiated strong magic. Wall frescos depicted people removing their clothing to enter these pools. Sergius contemplated whether to reenact the pictures, but the group convinced him to explore the surrounding areas first.

The party first explored a side room. Inside, they found a golden jeweled goblet sitting on a pedestal, near an alcove containing skeletal remains. It was a tempting sight, but the vision of the adventure ended before anyone could decide how to approach the situation.

Session 232: The Sealed Tomb of the Barrowmarsh

Day 26 Sunsebb CY 576 Tales from the Taproom: 

The Soggy Secrets of the Barrowmarsh Gather ’round, neighbors, and keep your voices low, for the walls of the Slumbering Serpent have ears, and some stories are best served with a stiff mug of ale. It’s the 26th of Sunsebb, year 576, and our quiet corner of the Gran March has been stirred by more than just the spring breeze. 

That band of travelers—you know the ones, with the dwarf whose hammer speaks of thunder and the elf who cleans his armor like it’s made of fine porcelain—has returned from the northern Barrowmarsh with swamp mud in their boots and quite a tale to tell. They found it, just as the old maps whispered: a sealed tomb. 

Now, most sensible folk see a granite slab and think "keep out," but these lot decided to bash their way through it. They tell me the air inside smelled of rot and the floors were flooded waist-deep in brackish, still water. Armatzi’s holy mace began to glow with a sickly light, and before they could even steady their footing, the dead began to stir from the muck. 

 It wasn’t just a simple skirmish. Armatzi called upon his faith to drive back the first wave of zombies, sending them fleeing into the dark corners of the vault. They even found a secret chamber—thanks to that elf Feno's keen eyes—where a trapped iron box held a pair of magical leather gloves. They spent hours sifting through what they called "pulp"—all that remained of ancient scrolls and books ruined by the damp—but they managed to pull out a scroll of Protection from Fire Elementals. 

 But the marsh never lets go of its treasures easily. On their way back to our dear Orlane, they were surrounded by no fewer than twenty zombies. It was a bloody business. Poor Sergius was nearly sent to his final rest, falling unconscious under the weight of the onslaught. If not for Armatzi’s healing touch and a series of devastating backstabs from Gnorcia, we might be mourning a few of them tonight. 

 They rolled back into town around 8:40 in the evening, looking like they’d been dragged through the bottom of a bog—which, let's be honest, they had. They’re currently huddled by the fire, filling their bellies and scrubbing the filth of the tomb from their gear. Thirty undead they put down today, or so the count goes. 

 So, if you see them, buy them a round. They’ve earned it, and I have a feeling the Barrowmarsh isn’t done with them yet. 

 — Vilma, your humble teller of truths (and a few well-earned lies)

Session 231: Further exploration of the Barrow Marsh

Tatania, Arnd, Feno, Lhoss, Gnorcia, Sergius, and Armatzi found themselves in the common room of the Foaming Mug in contemplation about what the day would hold. Gnorcia made a quick trip to the Temple of Merika to check in on Priestess Misha's findings about the rotten samples from the Dim Forest. Unfortunately, Misha has been quite busy and had no updates. The group decided to travel to the Barrow Marsh. Interestingly, the corruption in the forest hadn't seemed to progress significantly in the eight days since they had last visited.

The idea was to find the room in the Barrow Maze where the Beholder was defeated and search it for treasure (it was not exhaustively explored in the past). The problem was that the group had originally found the location with the help of the Font of Knowledge, and had no memory of its exact location nor any help in finding it now. For several visits, they have been wandering somewhat aimlessly and have not struck upon the location. Even approaching the Barrow Maze, the group was somewhat at a loss as to which entrance to start from. Tatania decided to meditate and use her compass box to divine some direction. The golden cube responded thusly: it spun, pointed northeast, shuddered, then exploded! Tatania was devastated. The group decided to honor the tool's last piece of information and made their way northeast, in the direction of Eliwin's barrow. 

They found two barrows: one was deeply covered in earth and sod and the dwarves indicated that it would take many hours of digging to uncover. The other was a collapsed mound. The group moved on and saw a third mound with an embossed bronze door covered in verdigris. It could not be made out what was depicted or written on the door. Lhoss cast a clean cantrip and the group was able to see a vile skull of Nerul and pentagram designs. There was also a small keyhole. Gnorcia pulled out and examined her collection of found keys, but none seemed to match the keyhole. Armatzi cast detect magic on the lock and discovered that it is highly magical. He tried to dispel the magic with a spell, but he found that it was protected by deity-level powers and Armatzi was unable to affect it. That was enough of a warning to get the adventurers to move on from this place.

They found a fourth mound that was sealed, but would only take a short while of bashing to open it. Feno and Sergius used sledge hammers and broke it down. No undue attention was attracted, thank goodness. They uncovered a five-foot staircase descending into a dry stone crypt. From the base of the stairs, the party could see five eight-foot stone statues of beautiful women set around the perimeter of the room. Arnd noticed that their shining red eyes, while startling at first, were actually gems. He swept the floor with the 10' pole and the rest of the party moved in to look closer. Niki and Armatzi cast detect magic on the statues, but they were not magical. Armatzi also cast detect traps on all the statues and indeed found one trap on the statue at the far end of the room. It had opals for eyes, where the rest seemed to have rubies or garnets. Gnorcia climbed up the trapped statue to examine it further and noticed a small pipe set into the mouth, possibly a vessel to expel poisonous gas? Niki cast stone shape and blocked off the pipe. Lhoss, Feno, and Gnorcia then went to work to pry out the gems, eight rubies and two black opals.

Tatania keenly spotted a latch. Arnd opened it to find a horde of giant rats. Lhoss climbed above the doorway and dropped a vial of oil and then a lit vial on top of the oil splatter. The result was a conflagration that killed six rats. Arnd then threw his mighty hammer and killed another one. The rest scattered and by the time the fire had died down, there was no sign of the vermin. There were a few coins in their rat nest as well as a sealed arcane scroll tube with a tantalizing blue luster. Tatania looked at it with interest, but contained her desire to inspect it. Lhoss, on the other hand, grabbed it and opened the tube with a sort of reckless abandon. She identified three scrolls with magic-user spells: magic missile, floating disc, and web. Lhoss was particularly interested in the web spell and decided to share and give the floating disc spell to Tatania. The group retreated back to the marsh and looked for another mound to explore. They came upon a sealed mound and decided they would bash it in. That is where my vision of events fades to darkness. I will be sure to follow and report on what is found within, for I am your humble storyteller,

Vilma

Session 230: The temple of Heironeous and the strange and mysterious Fire Maple Druids of Hookhill

It is day 20 of Sunsebb and Tatania has rejoined the group. When told of the identify spell scroll, she happily claims one. She is eager to acquire more skill and knowledge and, in fact, already has the requisite magic ink to scribe the spell into her spell book. 

The group had planned to visit the temple of St. Cuthbert, but as their cleric Armatzi is nowhere to be found, they instead venture to the temple of Heironeous. Feno is particularly interested in this deity which may more closely align to his ideals. As they approach the impressive structure, they are greeted by an acolyte. He needs to be persuaded, but eventually fetches a cleric. A harried cleric is brought out but she seems put out to have to deal with this intrusion on her time. In a disinterested tone, she asks what the party has for her to look at. The party sets out the several books and scrolls they had acquired in the barrowmaze. At first, the cleric is unimpressed. But upon closer inspection, her eyes widen and she emits a small choking sound. She scurries off and another higher-ranking official emerges to evaluate the writings. She too is astounded by the books and asks where the party had come across what she dubbed the "unholy relics of Incabulos". Tatania and Veyda explain the provenance of the items. The cleric wishes to study and then destroy the items and offers in exchange either gold or scrolls. The party chooses scrolls. She offers any four of the following: cure serious wounds, cure blindness, neutralize poison, or cure disease. The group decide on two cure serious wounds, neutralize poison, and cure disease. The group also offers the recovered lizardman scales and doppelganger books. The cleric notes that these two are cursed and will not study them before the curse is lifted. She will charge 2,500 GP to remove the curses, but the party demurs. 

Feno asks about the ideals and mission of Heironeous. He states that he wants to kill undead and is curious how the cleric might respond to such a brash statement. The cleric responds that Heironeous considers undead to be a scourge to be destroyed and any follower would be rewarded for services in this pursuit. In addition certain benefits and responsibilities could be expected. All good worshipers of Heironeous are expected to act in defense of the weak. Feno is intrigued and says that he will think on it.

Meanwhile, it seems that Niki has somewhat forgotten about the plight of her poor cat Jack, but fortunately, Veyda has not. She brings the cat to a druid grove. A priest identifies himself as a representative of the Fire Maple Druids of Hookhill. The priest is deeply concerned for the cat and promises to heal him to the best of their abilities, but it will take two weeks, not including the upcoming festival. He should be healed by day 5 of Fireseek, but no one needs to hurry to pick him up as Jack is welcome to stay with the druids. Veyda is interested in learning from the druids and asks if she can stay with Jack until he is healed. The druid agrees. Tatania then steps forward and offers diseased samples from the Dim Forest for examination. The priest is dismayed. The Fire Maple Druids were unaware of this evil corruption and promise to send emissaries. For sharing this knowledge, Tatania is rewarded with a prized pinecone. Then the priest grows somewhat grim and proclaims that Orlane should be purged of its humanity so that it may return to nature. This shocking statement catches many in the party off guard and they quietly dismiss themselves, leaving Veyda with this questionable group.

The return trip to Orlane is relatively uneventful aside from running into a patrol group. They stop the party to inspect their newly-updated adventuring charter and inform them of a strange sickness to the east. The group remembers overhearing some other travelers talking about this, but don't have any additional information. The patrol group asks the adventurers to warn any travelers they see away from eastward visitations. The party also notes additional rot and mushrooms in the Dim Forest.

Back in Orlane on Day 25 of Sunsebb, the party gives Myr his foodstuffs and checks in on their advertisements. They decide to hire a cart driver and laborer to fetch regular food shipments. In addition, Gnorcia decides to enlist Pella Reid (an orphan from the battle of Orlane) as a hireling. Let's hope she can be kept safe during the many adventures of the Saviors of Orlane. Otherwise you will have to hear about it from me, your faithful storyteller,

Vilma