Valldel Amakiir - 1st Level Male Elven Rogue
Akadum Ironbeard - 1st Level Male Dwarf Fighter
Dolin Stoneflare - 1st Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric
Shiso Shinjitsu - 1st Level Male Human Fighter
Junior Lubbins - 1st Level Female Human Fighter
Kethry - 1st Level Female Human Fighter
25 May 981, Wednesday continued
Fine spring weather, few clouds
At the edges of their vision they see some skeletons in ancient armor amid the piles of coal. They rush forward to attack, but as they do Dolin notes that a black dot has extinguished his light on his shield and the Darkness begins to spread snuffing out torches and miners lamps. They hear hideous laughter and taunts saying "The veil has torn. Join us below." As the light winks out they see three hideous creatures with clawed hands and dog-like faces appearing over the tops of coal piles and sweep down on them.
Dolin casts a new Light which seems to do nothing, while Akadum hangs back and lights a new torch which illuminates the cavern. The others are struggling with the skeletons and creatures which Kethry tries to Sleep, which fails. Two descend on Junior, and after being raked by their claws she stiffens and falls. The two creatures stop to feast on her flesh. Shiso calls for a withdrawal, but is ignored. Akadum uses his strange pistol and scores an effective hit on one of the creatures. The party begins to get the upper hand destroying the skeletons and using fire spells from Dolin and Kethry to destroy the other things. Unfortunately the fire ignites the coal piles and the cavern begins to fill with smoke.
Kethry sends her Rook to view the far parts of the cavern, while they hastily withdraw carrying the paralyzed Junior. She is near death, they recall the healing potion Griya gave her, dig it out, and force it into her. They manage to retreat with the mine cart full of the dead lost miners and militia men. Kethry's Rook tells her that at the back of cavern there is tunnel that comes from deep under the earth, but it could go no further as the fire had grown worse. Akadum is distressed and suggests they go back to explore the deep tunnel, but the fire and smoke are too thick.
When they reach the mine head, Willis is very distressed. The fire is a disaster for his mine. He hastily closes off the mine head in hopes that the fire will be choked out by lack of air. He does not want to pay them, but Edgar, the town guardsman, insists that they get paid. They have done what was asked, retrieved the missing. He asks what they saw down there and they speak of the skeletons and creatures which now they realize were some sort of ghoul. It was clearly some sort of strange ghoul as they spoke and clearly were able to do some sort of magic. Edgar reveals that similar sorts of Fell Creatures had appeared in the bigger mines and were defeated by the town guard with the support of Imperial troops. Willis pays them 60 GP.
They suggest that Junior should be taken as soon as possible to the Pretorium where the Imperial forces will have the resources to treat her. Accompanied by Edgar they are treated well and there they say they will bring Junior to the Temple of Hephaestus for treatment. They think she will be OK, but she will be terribly disfigured.
During all this the others talk with Kethry and tell her of the strange happenings they have witnessed over the last few days. She is intrigued and wants to visit Drigbolton, but they tell her of their urgent mission to visit the new Miss of Drigbolton and escort her back. They invite her to accompany them and she accepts.
They return to the West Coach Inn and plan to continue on their way the next morning.
26 May 981, Thursday
Fine spring weather, few clouds
The party catches the Midlands Ring Road Coach, which is a sort of super stage coach drawn by a team of six hourse. They head north out of town on the Midlands Ring Road descend out of the Teal Hills and head north and east down the road. At the end of the day they get to Weston Netherly, a drab hamlet in a patch of swampy terrain. Just to the north of the town, a large dilapidated mansions sits on the bank of a river running to the east. They come to the Weston Coach Inn where the Coach will stop and rest for the night.
As they are heading into the Inn Akadum notices that the bucket on the windlass above the well in the Inn's courtyard briefly looks like a hangmen's noose. He feels a brief flash of heat, but it all passes quickly. In the tavern/common room of the Inn there is a pretty bar maid, a burly bar tender and a number of patrons. At one table is group led by a priest of Zeus, plus a female magic user
and a female thief. At another table are five rougher looking types, humans plus one halfling who are obnoxious to the bar maid and drinking heavily. There are two loners, one looks to be a female bard as she is sitting in front of the fireplace and is tuning up a lute. Another is figure in a dark corner, wearing a dark grey cloak which is pulled up over the head.
Two young boys with wooden swords appear and asks if the party are adventurers. They want to be adventurers and say they plan to explore the Netherly Mansion, which is haunted, someday. There is a big dog who wanders in. Some of them note that the shadow the dog casts is some sort of demonic beast. Akadum shares some of his dinner with the dog.
There is a problem with the food order, and the proprietor appears and introduces himself as James Mortigan. He says that the mistaken meal is free. He is an ex-adventurer. They ask after Netherly Mansion, and he says is is the Netherly Family home, and they suddenly disappeared about 50 years. The mansion has stood empty since then, has been looted, and is nothing but a dangerous ruin.
Akadum talks to the man in the shadowy corner. On closer inspection he seems to be covered in soot and ash. He seems to pay little attention to what Akadum is saying, but blurts out "The fire burns us all. In the end we are nothing but ash." and "Ash. All is but ash." Then he disappears and few can recall seeing him there.
There are ads posted on the wall. "Brave adventurers needed to deliver a delicate package. See Guildmaster Faunel in the Brewmasters Guild for details." "Armed adventurers needed to guide a small party over the Moon Peaks. Interviews held tomorrow at lunch in the Weston Coach Inn." "Fell Creature infestation up the Moonwash River. See Captain Grimmel at the Town Guard Post. Bring weapons and armor for inspection." Some of them note that the ads morph to say "Brave adventurers needed to die." "Armed adventurers needed to die." "Fell Creature infestation up to death."
At this point Valdell says they should get out of here. Shiso, who has seen none of these apparitions, wonders why some of them are freaking out. They try to explain.
The obnoxious bunch is saying rude things to Kethry, and she puts one of them to Sleep. His companions think this is hysterical and begin drawing dicks on his face. One of them gets up from their table and goes to the bar. Akadum approaches him and asks what is up. He looks very unhappy and says he joined that group to try to find his cousin who disappeared after a bandit raid on his hamlet. It was north of the Two Goblins Inn and west of Stattleford. They claimed to be adventurers and explorers, but really they are just bandits and army deserters. They raid farms and pillage and rape. He is disgusted with himself for being with them.
Akadum asks about Zelda Spinewith at the Two Goblins, and the sad bandit says that she is famous around here. She is a powerful magic user, but it seems there is more that he wants to say.
Just then the bard starts playing. The obnoxious bunch tells her to "take it off" and the party has had enough. Kethry Sleeps one of them, but they seem to have noticed, and begin accusing her of being a witch and to come over to them for punishment accompanied by exceptionally explicit gestures. Akadum challenges one of them to a wrestling match and the apparent leader gets up. Shiso tells them that perhaps this should be taken outside, which seems to enrage the man and he charges at Shiso brandishing a beer bottle. Meanwhile Kethry has Slept one of them, and uses Mage Hand to pull the halfling's hat over his eyes. This distracts him as he struggles with the hat while babbling
about sorcery. Shiso is easily able to side step the charging man who is sent sprawling to the ground amid the crash of the breaking beer bottle.
Appearing to all in the center of the room is the grey cloaked figure. He screams "No, no! You should not have come here. All is cursed and only suffering and death await those who stay! It is too late. She comes! We and all who came before us are trapped now. She comes!"
All smell smoke and see the walls are smoldering and turning black. A bell begins ringing, and heavy footsteps are approaching...
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