IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

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Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

Minor retcon: Aldan hands off the ball bearings bag to Georgia with instructions where to place them [NE corner] and to leave the door she passes slightly ajar then lock the bedchamber door when she gets back. He'll begrudgingly pass the wine off to Zasio for the soaked rags under the doorjams. He'll retrieve one of his pitons and have Tyragorn boost him back up the trapdoor so as to drag Abramo's body into the secret room, then close and secure the secret door for all the good that would do them.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Arkrite
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Arkrite »

As Aldan is finishing securing the secret door, the sound of the front doors being broken apart can be heard.
There's a lot of yelling and running.
Somebody tries the door latch, then bangs on the door before yelling to the north draws the knocker away. Footsteps are heard headed towards the stairway up, and then silence.
Shock
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Shock »

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18


"Let's go, before they come back." Tyragorn looked to Aldan for confirmation.
Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

Aldan
Passive Perception:14 | Init:+4 | AC:16 | HP:11/14

Aldan, nods.

He'll open the door and look back at the prisoners. They'll be released. They'll bear witness against the group's actions. The body of the head priest will be discovered and with the sheriff corrupted, legal warrants will be on the book for their arrest.

It was a shame, he liked the Edgetrimmer identity. Maybe there was a way out though.

"We're going quickly and quietly to the Mayor's house." he nods to the girl, "She'll be safe there, but we can't linger. Maybe something about her story will tell of where we go from here to those who know the surrounding area better. Or maybe those elves are back with news." Aldan says with some hope.
"Something pithy this way comes."
Shock
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Shock »

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18


Tyragorn went out the door with purpose. There had to be some way to put a stop to this without fighting half the town. Maybe the mayor could calm down the rest of the folk. "Stay close together. We don't want anyone getting separated."
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Arkrite
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Arkrite »

The door opens to reveal an open room devoid of anyone. You can hear voices and barking coming from towards the stairs, but there isn't a person in sight as you make your way out the front door. The main gates have been barred from the inside, a barrier that would keep anybody out but barely slows you down as you remove the bar and slip out.

The roads look fairly quiet as you make your way down towards the Mayor's house, the only sign of life is the movement of curtains behind a window as people peer out.

When you arrive at the mayor's house the door is opened revealing the scowling face of Travers, who grunts and crosses his arms as he considers the group for a moment.

"Who's there?" Karia's voice can be heard from the other side of the house. The excitement in her voice is hard to miss.

Travers frowns, but grudgingly steps out of the way with a sigh to let you in.
Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

Aldan
Passive Perception:14 | Init:+4 | AC:16 | HP:11/14

Aldan, waves the group of them quickly. He'll stay by the door (or the window facing streetward) watching, alert.

If Travers was here to scowl then the Mayor should be as well. He'll call for the house's occupants and begin his hastened report when they arrive. "The Temple was over-run, subverted, desecrated. both priests, all accolytes, even the groundskeepers and surrounding folk that we could tell." Aldan wasn't sure about the last but the leap of logic wasn't a hard one to make.

"We rescued young Cirilli here from secret back-chambers from Abramo's rooms. She can attest that villagers are kidnapped and taken to see some supernatural snake... thing that whispers into their minds. She can expound more, there wasn't time for details. I think we made our escape unseen but they might be after us and tracking with dogs." the elf says.

"Cirilli, anything to add or recount? And if there are ideas from anyone about this now's a good time for sharing."
"Something pithy this way comes."
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stavaros_the_arcane
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by stavaros_the_arcane »

Georgia keeps close to Cirilli throughout their escape from the Temple. She'd be damned if she was going to let those brain addled cultists anywhere near the girl again.
Arkrite wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 8:03 pm "Who's there?" Karia's voice can be heard from the other side of the house. The excitement in her voice is hard to miss.

Travers frowns, but grudgingly steps out of the way with a sigh to let you in.
Georgia gives an approving nod to the frowning man. With how deeply this cult has infiltrated the town the caution is warranted. "I wish we were visiting under happier circumstances but we have new information."
Flynnarrel wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 6:08 am Aldan
Passive Perception:14 | Init:+4 | AC:16 | HP:11/14

Aldan, waves the group of them quickly. He'll stay by the door (or the window facing streetward) watching, alert.

If Travers was here to scowl then the Mayor should be as well. He'll call for the house's occupants and begin his hastened report when they arrive. "The Temple was over-run, subverted, desecrated. both priests, all accolytes, even the groundskeepers and surrounding folk that we could tell." Aldan wasn't sure about the last but the leap of logic wasn't a hard one to make.

"We rescued young Cirilli here from secret back-chambers from Abramo's rooms. She can attest that villagers are kidnapped and taken to see some supernatural snake... thing that whispers into their minds. She can expound more, there wasn't time for details. I think we made our escape unseen but they might be after us and tracking with dogs." the elf says.

"Cirilli, anything to add or recount? And if there are ideas from anyone about this now's a good time for sharing."
Georgia adds in, "The Swamps. If we're going to cut this problem out at the root, we'll need to find where in the swamps this thing the cult worships is hiding."

Georgia smiles encouragingly at Cirilli to reassure that, at least for now, she is safe.
Shock
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Shock »

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18


"Does anyone know which of the townspeople are sure to be unaffected so far? Who can we trust to keep Cirilli and others safe?"
Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

"Isn't that the crux of why we were sent here? We don't know who to trust? The mayor and his house seem pretty safe, that's why we came here. I think the owners of the Badger Inn are uncorrupted... for now. Probably the old woman who lives alone. Maybe the hermit in the woods. After that... ?" Aldan shrugs.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Arkrite
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Arkrite »

Zakarias quickly makes his way to meet you, his sons arriving shortly after.
Once Aldan tells them the situation he sends his sons off to arm themselves and Travers takes up a post by the window to peer out and keep watch should anybody be approaching.

Karia sends her daughters upstairs while they talk, and attempts to give Cirilli a hug. The young woman flinches away from the gesture, and Karia aborts the attempt and politely pretends that nothing happened.

Cirilli, seated at the table with her mace on her lap and a warm cup of tea in front of her tells her tale again. It's disjointed, sometimes out of order, on occasion she even cries a little at the retelling.

The details she's able to share come largely from her time trapped in the swamp, or from the mad rantings of the old priest who had held her captive. After a while you're able to piece together a few details. The lizardmen and goblins were following orders from Abramo who appeared to be in charge of operations in the town.
They would attack in the middle of the night, along with members of the church, attempting to kidnap the families from outlaying houses and farms. IF they couldn't take them alive they'd kill them. The bodies, both living or dead, were transported to the church for holding before being transported out in the middle of the night to their hideout in the swamp.

On top of that she'd heard that the people in the Golden Grain would drug travelers and kidnap them in the middle of the night, also sending off their victims to the church for holding.

Based on what you'd heard you most likely missed the last transport, but since there were no new hostages it must not have been too long ago.

Cirilli is able to point out a few people that she heard was working for them. The Constable Grover, the staff of the Golden Grain, the tailor, the first family the team had met on it's way into town, and a few others you'd never heard of before.

She's even able to offer some small insight that some of the nicer people who'd been changed seem very much unable to focus on anything, while the people she thought were bad people seemed less affected by the changes. They weren't themselves, but they weren't as "foggy" or confused as the others.
She was unable to explain why some people went mad, only offering that maybe they were trying to fight what ever magic held them but weren't able to.

The final bit of information she's able to provide was their next target, Vilma Merridie. The kind little old lady who was living not far from the church. Apparently something about her had been driving Abramo to fits of anger, and he had planned to send the lizardmen and goblins to spirit the old woman away.

With the lizardmen and goblins being dead it appears you accidentally prevented this attack from happening, and even had it not Abramo's death most likely put an end to it for now.

Zakarias scowls, "I can't believe that this all has been happening so close..."

"With your escape they have to know that we know, the people who are left will either try to attack you- us now, to silence us before we can tell anybody else. Or to escape into the swamp," He notes as his sons arrive, armed and armored for a fight, carrying with them their father's equipment.

"We need to attack them first, we can't let them get away," Cirilli says, wild eyed.

Shock wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:40 am "Does anyone know which of the townspeople are sure to be unaffected so far? Who can we trust to keep Cirilli and others safe?"
"No!" Cirilli yells, then lowering her voice she says, "You have to let me come with you. We have to stop them, or I'd rather die trying. I can't hide, waiting for them to come."

She hugs the mace to her chest like a younger child would cling to a doll, and rocks a little in her chair.
Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

Aldan
Passive Perception:14 | Init:+4 | AC:16 | HP:11/14

Aldan politely ignores the traumatized girl's call to battle.

"So our options, as I see them, are to fight a losing battle of attrition against the bulk of a supernaturally enthralled town where they have both law enforcement and a master assassin. (Let's not forget him.)" he says sardonically.

"Assault the Golden Grain Inn, the next largest concentration of their power. But that's on their turf where they have, no doubt, unpleasant surprises... and a master assassin."

"Or find..." Aldan closes his eyes in recollection, "'Explictica Defilus' the 'divine being' responsible for this all."

"Abramo stated... 'a days travel South, a few hours to the East' in his mad ramblings, though we should be dubious. Even so, he said only the lizardmen and goblins knew the exact way and, as we killed those, it could be weeks til more arrive from 'her Temple'. Though with a 'master tracker' we could trust..."
Aldan didn't want to put that kind of pressure on Zasio but maybe the mayor could say that one of the elves he had invited was such or perhaps, in his younger days, the hermit was a forest warden.

"There was a goblin we remanded over to the sheriff, but I have few hopes that it is still an option to us."

"Any other options, input, or ideas?" Aldan asks, fervently hoping not to hear from anyone with an emotional support mace.

"Oh, and is there any... bandaging available?" he asks, knowing a few of his group still sported minor wounds.
"Something pithy this way comes."
Shock
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Shock »

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18


"They'll know we killed Abramo and his foul minions. Surely they'll think we too strong to attack directly. They'll have to go back to the swamp for reinforcements. Someone must know the way. Following them will be our best chance of finding the source of evil." Tyragorn stopped to think for a moment. "Maybe we could let the goblin escape and follow it."

"Even then, we can't leave until we're sure this place is secure. You might all be safer with old Vilma. Cirilli, if you come with us, you would only be looking for revenge. And that's not good for your soul. It would be much better for you to stay here. Your knowledge of the enemy could be of great help defending those who need it most."
Flynnarrel
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Flynnarrel »

Aldan

"Not sure if the goblin is an option, we had the stablehand turn it over to the Sheriff who is, according to our rescuee, is one of them." he says with some regret, but hindsight was eagle-eyed.

"And old Vilma was the next on Abramo's list so her place isn't secure if they thought they could get in. Mayor, you might want to take everyone you can trust to the Boozey Badger and secure it. They'll have stores of food and drink and such." he says, raising his voice to address those in the house.

Aldan turns to his companions again. "Zasio, do you think you can track in the swamps? We can try Tyragorn's idea of following them on the assumption they will be going back to the temple for reinforcements."
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Tattooedman
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Re: IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

Post by Tattooedman »

Zasio Blackthorn:
HP: 23
AC: 14
Objects of Interest: Goodberries (2 - each heals 4 hp)
Aldan turns to his companions again. "Zasio, do you think you can track in the swamps? We can try Tyragorn's idea of following them on the assumption they will be going back to the temple for reinforcements."
"It shouldn't be a problem." The Ranger answers, his tone is confident to match his demeanor. "I just need to find where they enter the swamp and the rest is simple."
Jabroniville wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:45 pm
LOl- "The Tattooed Man"? What kind of ABSOLUTE DILDO would refer to himself as "The Tattooed Man" :P!?!
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