Adventure Log #16

Adventure Log #16 (Hard Pass)

Aki-Professional killer
Magnus-Mage
Marcus-Paladin of Chaldisaya
Morgan-High Priestess
Paladin Henry-How long have I been gone?
Serrif-Fighter with an “evil” twin
Scalla-Mage
Ulysses-Rogue

The party continues on their journey to Modem via the Hard Pass, the Hard Pass is so named because of the large number of brigands and monsters that prey on caravans in the pass. After several days of travel in which time they have been attacked numerous times they are just a couple of miles outside the village of Two Roads when they come across a man standing in the middle of the road. The man introduces himself as Ulysses and has no idea where he is. The party introduces themselves and offers to let him join the party.

Later that afternoon they come across the village. Two Roads is a small caravan stop on the Hard Pass road. There are some plantings of various crops inside a “varmit wall” that surrounds two sides of the village as well as a small creek. The party pays the road tax (5 Ivories) and gets the basic information about the village from the gatekeeper (there’s not actually a gate but he’s still referred to as the gate keeper). Strolling down the road they come to the inn The Laughing Dog.

Inside the bar is spacious but currently devoid of customers since they’re between caravans. Taking up a small booth the party orders food and drink and consider their next course of action. Since they found the wanted posters of themselves (last run) everyone agrees that keeping a low profile is probably best so they’re not going to spend too much time in the village. Just a quick meal and then travel on. Their repast is interrupted by a haggard looking man who says he knows Morgan. He says that he met her in a dream last night and has a proposition from them. The man, Lanmier a local holy man says that it would be best for the group if they accompanied out of the bar so as not to be seen by the militia captain Pietor who is due in at any minute would.

The priest tells the party that the village of Two Roads is haunted by a creature known as The Taker. Whatever it is the monster steals people and they are never heard from again. The Taker strikes randomly, sometimes taking two people in a week other times going for a month without striking. Lanmier tells them that if they will agree to hunt down The Taker he will take them to a magical rock formation known as Sleeps Furrowed Brow where they may get a glimpse at their possible futures.

He leads the party out of the bar by the back door and up into the woods. They enter a graveyard at the edge of which is the rock formation that overlooks the town. He says that the Brow’s dreams can cover the past present or the future but in all cases always come true but sometimes not the most obvious manner. The party beds down for the night and each of them (except Ulysses) has a dream.

Serrifs Dream
Serrif is chained to a set of stocks, and a dark woman blinding light where her face should be comes to him. She’s carrying the Death Master necklace Serrif was once forced to wear. She offers him the necklace. In his mind he doesn’t want the necklace but in the dream he gladly except it being placed over his head. He is overcome by a sudden burst of joy as the necklace rests on his sholdiers and the dream ends.

Scale’s Dream
Scala is in the dungeon of the dark lady. She is being held down while her face is being removed. The dark woman says “Scalar of the Three Souls. It is so nice that you have decided to join our games. Many of them will involve screaming on your part”. As the dream ends a creature is stitching her new face on.

Scala’s Dream II
Scala is sitting at her dressing table preparing herself for the night to come. She avoids looking into her mirror so as not to catch sight of what they have done to her face. It has been stitched on crooked, giving her a leering mouth and an off center nose, otherwise it is immobile. Scala knows that in one hour the door to her room will open and the men will be allowed in. It has been years since she started in the service of the dark woman and she knows that resistance is useless, it has been burned out of her. What really scares Scala most is that in the last couple of months she has begun to like the visits and she hates herself for it. She knows that soon, very soon there will be nothing left of her soul, just a puppet to do the dark woman’s bidding. Then she hears the sound of the secret door open behind her, and the passing of soft bare feet moving towards her. Scala finishes brushing her hair, and then says the last three free words that are left to her, “I’m ready Morgan”. The axe swings through the air and takes her head off. The dream ends.

Morgan’s Dream
Moran is being dragged to the throne of Jkennis Disatria I (the dark woman). She has put up a good fight but she has been beaten. As she waits at the foot of the throne the doors open behind her and she hears a conversation between the Jkennis and a male voice.
“Peace Lord Izaya how good to see you, how may I help you after you’ve barged into my throne room?
“I have heard that you have my future wife here”.
“This is your future wife.” Pointing to Morgan.
“Yes and I’ll be taking her with me.” He says picking Morgan up and carrying her away”.
“I don’t think you should stay in Deserata Izaya. I think your welcome is worn out”.
“I’ll be in Sadakadish then, but if any of my family are touched by you or yours I’ll come back. I know what you are and when I come back I’ll cut your head off and bury it in a deep mine shaft, that’s the best way to deal with your kind”.

Morgan’s Dream II
Morgan feels old in the dream. She’s older that she could ever imagine and is ready to go and be with her goddess, but she has one more walk to take. She comes to the trigger of the secret passage and opens it, walking into the richly appointed room. Scala is brushing her hair at the dressing table. Morgan hefts the axe with two hands and walks closer.
Scala stops combing her hair for a second and pulls the strands away from her neck, ” I’m ready Morgan”.
Using all of the strength she has left Morgan swings the blade and takes off Scala’s head.

Marcus’s Dream
Marcus hears a voice talking; he slowly wakes up and removes the pillow from his head.
“I know it’s your birthday beloved but you can’t stay in bed all day”. Marcus looks and sees it’s his wife Tanis standing with her hands on her waist. “My parents will be in the greeting room soon and you need to be ready. The dream ends.

Marcus’s Dream II
Marcus wakes up, this time he’s in a simple rope bed. Tanis is asleep at his side, she looks older, there is gray in her hair, more that there was when she died. There is a knock at the door of the tent and Marcus gets up to answer it, catching his reflection in a camp mirror he notices that he is old as well. His gray hair is braided and falls about his sholdiers. Getting to the door of the tent he lets the young soldier in.
“A messenger is coming in Paladin General”.
“Send him in”.
The young man opens the door and beckons to the messenger. The messenger is spattered with mud from the hard ride. “I bring you tidings from the Emror, he says that if the Paladins of Chaldisaya are coming they had better come soon or it will be too late”.
“Tell the Emror that they are coming”. Says Marcus as the dream ends.

The party wakes up the next morning and discuss their dreams. Scala and Morgan are unsettled by theirs while Marcus is very happy having dreamed of his dead wife, alive and well. Serrif feels for some reason that a great weight had been lifted off his soul. The party decides to dissect their dreams at a later date and make their way to the lair of the Taker.

Lanmier comes back and distributes breakfast then leads them through the graveyard to the place where he believes the Taker dwells. It is a small mausoleum that has had its doors torn off their hinges and the contense scattered about. Ulysses notices that the mausoleum is actually build just off the grounds of the graveyard, not on sanctified ground.

Paladin Marcus feels a faint wind blowing from out of the mausoleum’s entrance after a few minutes it stops only to begin sucking air back in to the tomb. Despite the ominous breathing like effect the group heads into the tunnel that leads into the catacombs. The party encounters a room full of freshwater springs about six inches of water covers the floor. Once they are partially across the room they are attacked by a group of 6 carrion crawlers, which they quickly dispatch. By following the water flowing down the hall and the “breathing” the party are able to find their way deeper into the catacombs. A phase spider wandering down the hall manages to do some damage, draining some constitution points from Morgan and general damage to some of the other party members. Eventually they party comes to a room full of Basilisks who manage to stone Serrif and Ulysses. After a long battle, with lots of save vs stoning rolls the party kills all of the beasts and reanimates Serrif and Ulysses.