The hunt for werewolves was set aside for a week. Jerker remained at Lah’s Retreat, and Ghevont made his own journey to consult with Lah. Nate took a trip for pleasure up to the mountains, and the doings of the rest of Tienarth’s Raiders was unknown, except for Ollie. The wily dwarf contemplated the two treasure maps the party insisted he take from the loot removed from the shambler while they picked their own magic items. By chance, four adventurers had arrived at the homestead, the first replacements for the those followers who’d been slaughtered by werewolves a few weeks before. Ollie used this opportunity to get some value out of the map with little risk to himself. It also gave him the chance to test these adventurers, perhaps turning them into his own loyal followers.
He looked at the map. It showed the road from St. Orlan to Milltown where the hills rose to true mountains. A trail led to a meadow where a single oak stood. There were six nails drawn next to the tree and seven stones around it. The sixth stone had a big X on it. By his estimate, the loot was only a couple of miles from town.
He looked at the ragged band of four, considering if they were up to the task. First, there was a halfling whose full name was Manekimo, but answered to “Kimo”. He was obviously trained in the art of theft. Beside him was Phahri, who preferred to be called Ari. He was a human fighting man, formerly a logger from Milltown. Then there was Caelith MacThane the half-elf bard who also knew something of the robbing and looting. He’d come to St. Orlan is search of Ghevont. Finally, there was Caolan, who made no secret of his training in the art of assassination. He, like the halfing and the fighter had come to St. Orlan partly based on rumors of Ferris starting up an adventurer’s guild.
Ollie explained that the previous residents of the homestead were freeloaders who camped in the field with sheep. Both groups had perished to the fangs of werewolves. Why should he trust these new four lads, he wondered. Caelith’s soliloquy about his admiration for Ghevont earned nothing more than a dismissive “fascinating” from Ollie. Caolan advised the dwarf that he should trust, which Ollie appreciated as the first honest statement from the group. He offered them a deal: take the map, bring back the loot and split it with him, half for himself and the other half for the four of them. The assassin sought to negotiate via an insult to Ollie’s mother, which earned him a smack across the face from Ollie’s gauntleted hand. Kimo rushed to diffuse the tension by excitedly agreeing to the terms on behalf of the other three.
The used that morning to purchase supplies, then marched south. Before long, they knew they were in the general area (hex 0909) and began a search. They found no clues for the rest of that day and made camp on the side of the road. They spent the entire next day (2/14), trudging up steep inclines, not finding any new trails or meadows. Neither were they interrupted by monsters or wild animals on either night. Midday of the next day (2/15), Caelith took up an uneven tune to encourage good luck in their search, and so it was they they did find a narrow trail that ended at a high mountain meadow.
A solitary, wind-twisted oak stood like a ‘malformed fang’ in a swaying sea of high grass. At the tree’s base, seven white river stones—smooth as a ‘mirror-like surface’—formed a tight circle, despite no water flowing within miles of this spot. Six rusted iron nails were driven deep into the trunk at eye-level. It took little time to identify the sixth stone. Kimo flipped it over, and it was obvious that a small chest was buried there.
The small chest was lifted from the hole with great effort. It weighed more than 400 pounds. Kimo made a check for traps, then lifted up the unlocked top, revealing a mess of loose coins made of gold and platinum. A cloak was spread out and the coins were counted. There were 18,000 gold coins, 2600 platinum pieces, and 12 gems.
The assassin proposed taking out all of the platinum, hiding it from Ollie. Kimo like this idea and Ari seemed ambivalent. Caelith did not come around to the idea at once, worrying that it would be part of the tale that he could never tell. In the end, they left only the gold in the chest, dividing up the platinum and gems between them. Caolan locked the chest with a padlock he’d been carrying as a way of making it seem like they hadn’t even checked the treasure before bringing it to Ollie.
So, each of them took an equal share of platinum, 650 pieces. Then, the gems were divided unevenly for some reason, according to the following.
- Kimo: Amethyst (500 gp), Fluorospar (38 gp), Chlorastrolite (10 gp), Aventurine (100 gp)
- Ari: Garnet (100 gp), Fire Opal (100 gp), Chlorastrolite (5 gp)
- Caelith: Alexandrite (200 gp), Fluorospar (375 gp)
- Caolan: Ruby (20 gp), Garnet (1000 gp), Fluorospar (50 gp)
The trek back to the homestead was slow, with two of them walking together to share the heavy weight of the chest. They had to take several breaks at that, being just at the end of their carrying capacity. Eventually, they dropped the heavy load before Ollie. On the way, Kimo became nervous of being caught essentially stealing part of the loot from the famous dwarf, but he was reassured by the others, mostly Caolan.
Ollie looked them over, and being naturally suspicious, he rightly accused them of hiding some of cheating him. He said he noticed their pockets bulged and jingled like they hadn’t days before. Caelith immediately admitted they held some extra loot and that he hadn’t wanted to go along. Then, Kimo offered a preposterous tale about pixies given them treasure. Caolan further explained that since this loot didn’t come from the map itself, it was not included in the deal, and he pointed to the lock on the best as further proof of their honesty. Somehow, this foolish lie was believed by the dwarf, and he let the matter go.
Kimo got to work on picking the lock on the chest. It took him ten minutes. Once again, the gold coins were counted, and Ollie honored the deal, taking 9,000 gp for himself and giving the other four 9,000 gp.
Kimo buried a good portion of his loot in a location known only to himself. He also spent good sums on parties. Ari donated much of his new wealth to Amalgus in support of the effort to improve the security of the town. Caelith donated a large sum to chruch at the temple of St. Orlan. Caolan gave away 150 gp to the poor and then spent four times as much to hire thugs to advertise his philanthropy, mostly by painting black knives on any available surface. By the end of the week (2/22), everyone in town knew about the knew about Coal Bhas and his benevolence for the poor, though some grumbled at the ugly graffiti that appeared.
The assassin also spent 1,000 gp to increase opportunities for fame in St. Orlan. This was in the form of a new periodical called The Inkwell’s Edge, a first for the small town. The funds would allow for a single publisher to create stories about town and print them on parchment to be sold on the street. This increased the potential for fame in St. Orlan from 100 gp to 150 gp.
Caelith wrote down the song about searching he’d developed while in the mountains, making it repeatable and effective. Thereafter, he could expect that performing it would increase the range of success when searching by 1, such that a search for a landmark that might succeed on a 1 in 10 would succeed on 1-2 out of 10 if he kept up the song.
Caolan spent the following week (2/23 – 3/1) looking for ingredients, preparing them and brewing up a single vial. He did this in the homestead where Ferris would typically make potions. Given available material and some luck, he made a rare poison that erases the victim’s memory. The poison worked by getting into the blood, usually by the edge of a blade. Those not making a saving throw, immediately lose four memorized spells and 75% of everything that happened to them in the previous 24 hours.
Ghevont and Lah
Meanwhile, Ghevont went to Lah to talk. He left the city without ceremony. No proclamation, no farewell sermon. Just a quiet departure at dawn, staff in hand, robes travel-stained, eyes distant.
The road to Lah’s sanctuary felt longer than he remembered. Each mile gave him space to think, and the thinking gave him no rest. He had seen much, but all his knowledge brought was more questions. The Hypnost path whispered of deeper truths, of hidden structures beneath belief. Yet the Anointed One’s light still lingered in him like a half-healed wound.
When he arrived, Lah received him in the shaded courtyard of the old temple. The high priest looked older, though perhaps it was simply that Ghevont now saw the weight upon him.
For a time they did not speak of doctrine. They spoke of the city, of the vampire’s fall, of the mummies’ strange return. Lah listened more than he spoke, his gaze intent but not judgmental.
At last Ghevont said quietly, “I need to understand. Not the rituals. Not the forms. The truth. What is faith when miracles and horrors both answer? What is doctrine when magic twists and the dead rise? Is the Anointed One sovereign over all this, or are we… interpreting shadows?”
The question hung between them. Not rebellion. Not accusation. Honest and sincere searching.
Ghevont stood at a crossroads within himself. The Hypnost teachings had given him a framework, a sense that reality was layered and that truth required awakening. But Lah represented something older, steadier, rooted in tradition and endurance.
He was not there to argue. He was there because he needed to know whether these paths converged somewhere unseen… or whether he would eventually have to choose.
Lah smiled, as if finally seeing what he had awaited from Ghevont for all these years. And for a long, uncomfortable moment, Lah merely gazed at Ghevont, his eyes simultaneously piercing and kind.
“You seek definitive answers to the mysteries of life that the shape of the universe does not allow us to know. These patterns we recreate that produce miracles were handed down from antiquity as wisdom we might share with one another. From the steady rise of the sun in the east every day, to magical production of light from a few spoken words, to the very spark of life we feel in our bodies, we know these truths are real. They require no faith. As for the balance, we have no choice but to grasp at unfounded ideas, to cling to them with steady faith. This is the challenge presented by the Anointed One: to don his mantle and march out into the storm without knowing for sure whether it will keep you warm.”
“You came here seeking to unburden yourself of the responsibility of deciding what is true and right, but this is a gift from the Anointed One that only the wicked might accept from you, for it means your annihilation. Do you think the lord would have you enslave your soul to anyone, even himself?” He shook his head sharply, once, which in its silence felt more powerful than any spoken negation. After a pause, he said firmly, “Keep hold of this gift and make the most of it.”
Ghevont did not answer at once. He studied Lah’s face, searching not for weakness, but for contradiction. When he finally spoike, his voice was steady, his eyes sharp. “What you say… it sounds less like the proclamations of the Church and more like the quiet teachings of the Hypnosts.”
He took a slow breath. Lah could see Ghevont struggle to find the right words. “They say truth cannot be handed down whole. That certainty is often idolatry dressed in holy garments. That the awakening of the soul requires struggle, not obedience.” His eyes narrowed slightly, not in accusation, but in confusion. “And yet the Church brands them pariahs, calls them corrupters, even wages war against them. They treat them worse than the nonbelievers, like they are devils themselves.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “If what you say is true, if the Anointed One grants us the burden of discernment rather than blind submission… then why does the Church not burn you for saying so? Why are the Hypnosts hunted while you stand here preaching something that sounds perilously close to their creed?” There is no bitterness in the question. Only genuine perplexity.
Lah replied with a question. “Is that what the Zaphadrin taught you about the church, that the Anointed One requires blind submission? Surely, having been consecrated and made to study the codex, you know this not to be church doctrine.”
Jerker and Lah
Jerker had been with Lah for more than a week, prompted by a disturbing dream. He sought explanation, guessing that it had something to do with his abrupt killing of Bremalai. Lah agreed with this conclusion. He explained that when someone is killed violently, especially in the midst of intense emotion, the spirit may remain until the whatever injustice or unfinished business is resolved. Based on the holy teachings, this process may very well be taking place between Jerker and Bremlai. This can take one of many forms. Sometimes the spirit forms into odeum, an insane spirit that seeks to recreate extreme chaos and distress. Sometimes the spirit returns as a ghost, which also has the power to possess. As well, there are blade spirits and grave sentinels that seek only to fight and defend.
What the spirit of Bremlai ultimately becomes, only time can tell. This is not a curse than can be lifted. It may be part of the plan of the Anointed One that you endure hardship in order restore some sort of balance. If the spirit threatens your life, you must defend yourself, but often these spirits merely want to share their story. This may trouble your thoughts and even become distracting when you must be otherwise occupied. You must endure and have faith in the Anointed One.
I have concerns that you may have attracted this dark energy upon yourself because you committed a grave sin in the past year when you gave away a holy relic, one of the bones of Saint Jaludi to a death devil. This saddens me. It could be that the lord has called you to undo this wrong. And if he is calling you to this purpose, you can be assured it is possible. Similarly, I would like to a make a personal request to you. Convince your companions to return those two bones of of the blessed saint to me for safe keeping. Among your companions are Nate and Ghevont, both of whom are fierce foes of the undead. It would feel better of those most precious relics were kept safe in the sepulchre we have here for Saint Jaludi.
End Notes
- Days
- 2/13 – 2/14 Kimo, Ahri, Caelith, Caolboss dig up treasure for Ollie
- 2/16 – 2/22 Kimo, Ahri, Caelith, Caolboss train
- 2/23 – 3/1 Caolboss brews up a vial of poison of forgetfulness
- Treasure:
- 9,000 gp to Ollie
- 650 pp and 2,250 gp to Kimo
- 650 pp and 2,250 gp to Ari
- 650 pp and 2,250 gp to Caelith
- 650 pp and 2,250 gp to Caolban
- Amethyst (500 gp), Fluorospar (38 gp), Chlorastrolite (10 gp), Aventurine (100 gp) taken by Kimo
- Garnet (100 gp), Fire Opal (100 gp), Chlorastrolite (5 gp) taken by Ari
- Alexandrite (200 gp), Fluorospar (375 gp) taken by Caelith
- Ruby (20 gp), Garnet (1000 gp), Fluorospar (50 gp) taken by Caolan
- Combat: none
- Characters
- Kimo (stealing) 3898 xp
- Ari
- Caelith (stealing) 3825 xp
- Caolan
Kimo and Caelith are thieves. Stealing anything of value earns an immediately award of 1 XP for each GP of value stolen. This does not use up the gold. It can later be used for training or any other purpose. XP awards above are based on the value of the platinum (3250 gp) and gems stolen from Ollie.