Game Notes, Session 8

Gameplay began shortly after it left off. Brix had gone to reflect on the events of the Mill’s destruction (specifically the heavens and hell nearly opening up because of it), and the rest of the party went on to Guarm’s, where they reported on the Mill. Guarm was extremely surprised about the goings on, and noted that he had merely sent the party out on a mission of investigation. Guarm appeared tired, so the boys pressed him with questions, and discovered that he and Ethan belonged to a similar organization (Ethan is a vampire specialist, Guarm concerns himself with the Unseely Court, or nighttime fey). The boys try to find out if this is in relation to Brother Jarrod’s organization, but Guarm does not appear to know Brother Jarrod, and furthermore, is not aware that Brother Jarrod was ever at the monastary, instead noting a Brother Mortimer who filled his role as the blacksmith, according to a list Dr. Ethan had given him three years ago (Brother Jarrod has been the blacksmith at the monastary for all of the time the boys can remember). Guarm cleared the party of their debt to him, and informed them that Dr. Ethan had visited him recently, and was on his way to the Cracked Flagon. The boys thanked Guarm, and continued on their way to the Flagon. As they left Guarm’s house, they received a message from Eric asking them to meet him at the Warrior’s Rest in a couple of days’ time.

On their way to the inn, they encountered a small herd of centaurs, who slowed down when they neared the party, but did not stop. The party hailed them, but the centaurs were haughty and curt, telling the boys that they did not have what the they were looking for, and they continued on their way. When the group arrived at the Cracked Flagon, they found even more centaurs, and Guy attempted to find out more, but the centaurs were not in a talking mood. Inside the inn, they found Tok (the innkeeper – his name had not been previously noted), and Graham the Minotaur, who tells Guy that the centaurs are searching for the son of their chief, who had been kidnapped. He also informs him that he is wanted by the centaur community, and so is hoping to lay low, lest they decide to settle that debt while they’re out in force. Tok, in the meantime, hints that Dr. Ethan is still at the Flagon, and also asks the boys to take care of something for him. He mentions that Arthur’s father, the farmer had been earning extra money as a courier of supplies for him between Britewater and the Flagon, and that he had picked up a delivery for him, but had never returned to the inn, though he believed the farmer to have stopped off at home. Tok himself had been too busy to go check on him, and asks if the boys will do it instead, to which they agree. Floyd plays the bar (Note to self: the DM informed me that I made some money off of this, but I don’t know how much), and before long, Dr. Ethan comes downstairs from his room. Dinner is served, and Floyd takes a break from playing, and the boys and Ethan sit down to discuss what has been going on recently, specifically the Old Mill Event, and their business with Guarm. In regards to the Brother Jarrod discrepancy, Ethan notes that he had listed Brother Jarrod’s name, and is curious as to why and more importantly, how it had been changed.

Ethan informs the party that he has business tonight, and the party decides (after some prodding from Guy) that they will accompany him. That evening, the group heads out to an enchanted stone, and Ethan teaches Guy how to detect evil, whereupon he realizes that the stone has an evil residue. Ethan casts a spell rendering the party invisible, and takes out a coin to hold. Floyd asks him what the coin is, and Ethan reveals it to be one of the twelve pieces of silver used to pay The Betrayer[1]. Ethan is currently in posession of three of these coins. This particular coin prevents True Seeing as well as something else (does anybody remember?) After standing still and silent for a good little while, a black carriage pulled by horses with their eyes gouged out approaches. The carriage driver, moving mechanically, approaches the stone and performs a sort of ritual on it, and more stones come to surface, and a supernaturally beautiful woman emerges from the lead stone.

At this point, three people get out of the carriage. The first is a lanky, strung-out looking fellow in a suit with tails. The second is a beautiful woman wearing with blonde hair wearing a red dress who has naught but black in her eyes – no iris, no whites. The third is a tall gentleman with black hair (with a streak of white) whose prescence is commanding, to say the least. He approaches the woman, and a conversation ensues, which Guy is able to overhear (Chris, I can’t remember what the conversation was about). The woman returns to the stone, and the carriage party begins to make its way back, but the lead gentleman senses Ethan’s prescence, and although he is unable to find him, he acknowledges that he’s out there, and “thanks” him for the gift of his leuitentant (the blonde woman), indicating that she has served him well. This woman turns out to be Ethan’s daughter, and she is now a vampire, as is the man. Ethan, meanwhile, has prepared a crossbow with two wooden stakes, but cannot bring himself to fire it. The carriage and its inhabitants depart. Ethan and the boys return to the Flagon as the sun is coming up.
Without taking the time to sleep, the boys head out to the farmer’s house. When they arrive, they find the cart and delivery in perfect working order, but there are tools strewn about outside the house. As the boys approach the house, they detect the distinctive odor of wheat. They go inside to find the table set for a meal, and when they look up, they find the farmer, his wife, and Arthur hanging from the ceiling with burlap sacks over their heads. Upon cutting them down, they’re treated to a gruesome sight – the victims have had their heads skinned. Guy detects evil, and finds a prescence coming from upstairs. They go upstairs, and to their horror, discover that a survivor has been left, the farmer’s young daughter, though her eyes have been cut out. The girl, whose name is Sally, has been given a scroll by the “Sickle Man” to give to the “Tally Man.” Floyd wraps the scroll up in several blankets, and the boys create a blindfold for Sally, and they bury the bodies before heading back to the Flagon with Sally in tow.

They arrive and go to see Ethan, to whom they tell the story of what has transpired, and show him the scroll. Ethan reads the scroll, then promptly burns it, along with anything that may have touched it. He gives the boys kingsfoil to eat, and performs a cleansing ceremony. He tells them that the scroll was about the 2nd most evil thing he had ever seen / come into contact with. The scroll is a note from the Sickle Man (also called The Harvester) to the Tally Man (The Grim Reaper), and suggests the Autumnal Equinox as the date of the great harvest (the Autumnal Equinox is almost a year away). He also suggests that the boys leave Sally in Gaurm’s care for the time being. He gives the boys some more kingsfoil and sends them on their way. Before they go, Tok gives them two bottles of fire whiskey and a bottle of gnomish blue. The party also takes the cart and donkey that belonged to the farmer.

The group travels to Guarm’s and delivers Sally into his care, whereupon Guarm notes that the boys might consider visiting the Tower of Puzzles, a place that Virgil has long wanted to visit, suggesting that a cure for Sally’s ailment might be found there. First, however, they have to find their way back to the Warrior’s Rest to meet Eric. After a brief stop in Drea to get oats, the party makes its way back towards the Warrior’s Rest, first stopping by the bridge. Virgil takes some time to decipher the script on the bridge, and discovers that it is a scroll, placed here by an ancient pagan god, and when read, it will release the Wild Hunt[2] to Hunt for the releaser. While Virgil is deciphering the bridge, Floyd sees the ghost of the girl whom they encountered the first time on the bridge, and she indicates that her body can be found at the bottom of the ravine. Floyd passes this information along to the others, and the party adds it to their list.

The group gets to the Warrior’s Rest, and finds Eric and Samarind. Samarind has cured himself of his crazy rage affliction by increasing his wisdom. Eric has obtained the staff of the Arcane, as well as some other books. The party questions him about having spoken to Zarin and Brother Elliott, but Eric really doesn’t seem to remember that happening. Eric informs the party that he’s learned how to expand the powers afforded to them by Abbott Teris’ death ritual, and the party undergoes the means necessary to conduct the expansion. Eric explains that eventually, the boys will be able to commune with Teris. Upon undergoing the ritual (which adds MacGuffin to the group), the boys also learn that there is a new member of their circle, hitherto unknown by them, and deduce that it is Brother Elliott, and that he somehow met up with Eric and erased his memory of the event, leading to the discrepancy between Zarin and Eric’s stories. Eric also voices major supsicions about Zarin, and recommends that eventually, the party will need to take him down.

Eric also has news about the prophecies surrounding their birth – that the pervading theory in the Western World is that those born in the year of the Ram will either ascend to the throne of Arimethea, or they will place someone on the throne, noting that the last set of year of the Ram births were the twelve disciples. However, the Eastern World prophecies seem to think that those born in the year of the Ram will bring about Armageddon. Another prophecy surrounding the boys is that one of them, or one of the other year of the Ram births (Zarin, Eric, or one of the two unkowns) will draw the sword of Something (anyone remember the name of the sword?), which had been drawn once before, allegedly, to “kill God”. The boys tell Eric about their exploits, including the Mill event, and the subsequent goings on at the farm, and Eric shows them research material that suggests that the Harvester is The Betrayer himself. At this time, the gnome who runs the Warrior’s Rest comes to the boys and informs them that there are Lizardfolk outside who want to talk to them. They go out, and the Lizardfolk party mentions that the chief has requested their assistance, because the centaur chieftan’s son is currently in their village.

End of Session VIII
[1] Before the church, there were only the pagan gods. Then one day, a man came along who claimed that the pagan gods did not exist and that only through the one true God would there be salvation. The man was tried and convicted, and as was the custom during those days, he was found guilty by one of his peers, a man, who, as it turns out, had been paid 12 pieces of silver to find him guilty by the emporer (this man is known as The Betrayer). The man was hanged and killed, only to immediately descend from heaven in spirit form, reiterating his message, and thus, the church was born.
[2] The Wild Hunt is a crazy scary entity that tracks you down, and then, well, who knows what happens to you? Nobody! The Wild Hunt is that scary. A big mofo wears horns on his head and only one man, the great bard Holeroy, has ever looked him in the eyes and lived, I tell you! Do not mess with The Wild Hunt – unless you absolutely have to, which we might, but man oh man, will you ever regret it!