Episode 2 / Session 36 – Assault on the moathouse

Coldeven 3, 576 CY Morning

Glad to have Old Trusty Zert Back in the Group

 Amazing how one successful adventure can change a person for the better.  I was glad our old friend was eager to go adventure again with us.  We will need every sword for going against the Moat House.  Hopefully the town elders can get the local lords to act now.  

We cannot do everything.  We rush to one location to quell the evil only for it to sprout anew in another.  Since the beginning of this I have felt we can do nothing without the backing of the local lords.  Who dismissed all reports as just local banditry that has gone on for generations.  With the evidence of the Werewolf, the Witch's Diary, and the Letter from the Moat House I feel we have now established enough evidence of a bigger problem than just local banditry.  They must listen to our call for aid now.  

I have not heard from my Dwarven People on our attempt to collect on our bill to the Tower People.  With my new party I collected some of the payment back.  However, the leaders escaped.  Perhaps they went to the Moat House?  Maybe I will see them and be able to present them with a bill & interest must be charged.  The Kron Hills Dwarves always get paid!  

Dixon of the Kron Hills Dwarves on this Coldeven 2, 576 CY

Episode 2 / Session 35 – Hommlet’s Sanctuary and the Rising Shadow

Coldeven 1, 576 CY – Morning

Weather
Temperature: 8.4°F to 31°F
Wind: Light breeze (SW), 4-7 MPH
Precipitation: Light snow
Cloud cover: Overcast

As dawn breaks, the group stirs from their makeshift camp, eager to close the final stretch to Hommlet. Two days more. The biting cold clings to their bones, and a light snow falls steadily from the heavy clouds above. The air is frigid—so cold that every breath billows in front of their faces like smoke. Even bundled in their cloaks, the chill is relentless.

Slash the Bard, his face gaunt and pale, looks worse with every passing moment. The venom from the drider’s bite has spread, leaving him weak and barely able to stay upright. His breath is shallow, and his eyes glassy. There’s no time to waste. If they don’t reach Hommlet soon, he won’t survive the night.

After a quick and meager breakfast, the party sets out, trudging through snowdrifts that seem to grow with each step. The bard’s condition deteriorates rapidly, his balance faltering as he struggles to stay on his horse. The others glance at him nervously—they know they may not be able to save him if they don’t reach the village soon.

The snow falls relentlessly all day, covering the road and making progress slow. But with Dog leading the way, ever vigilant, they press on. As dusk settles in, they stop briefly to rest and light a small fire. Looking at Slash, they know they can’t afford to wait for morning. He won’t make it. With determination in their hearts, they decide to push forward through the night.

Coldeven 2, 576 CY – Before Dawn

After what feels like an eternity, with Dog guiding them by lantern light, the village of Hommlet finally comes into view. Exhausted but relieved, the group trudges into town just before daybreak. They’ve made it, but barely.

Without hesitation, TerryOr leads the group to the Church of St. Cuthbert. Together, they push through the doors into the chapel, their boots heavy with snow. The acolyte hurries off to wake Canon Terjon, who emerges from his quarters, bleary-eyed but alert. One look at Slash tells him everything he needs to know.

“This way,” he says, his voice urgent, and they follow him to the infirmary. There, under the glow of flickering candles, Canon Terjon kneels beside the Bard and prays to St. Cuthbert. As his hands rest upon Slash, the divine energy flows through him, neutralizing the poison coursing through the bard’s veins. Slowly, color returns to Slash’s face, and his breathing steadies. The party breathes a collective sigh of relief.

The group finally takes the rest they so desperately need, collapsing into deep, dreamless sleep. When they awaken, the acolytes have prepared a hearty breakfast, and fresh clothes await them along with baths and healing for their wounds. The warmth of the church is a welcome reprieve from the cold and danger of the road.

Later that afternoon, when the adventurers are ready, Burne and Canon Terjon meet with them to discuss what they’ve learned. Burne examines the dispatch addressed to "Lareth the Beautiful," his face grim.

“Exactly as I feared,” Burne mutters. “The Temple is stirring once again. We’ll have to deal with this Lareth. I’ve only heard rumors—an evil priest, said to serve various dark gods, including those tied to elemental chaos. We must act quickly.”

As Burne and Terjon strategize, the group gathers around. They try to use the healing power of the rod they’ve been carrying, but something is off—it doesn’t respond as it should. Irving the Reluctant steps forward and casts detect chaos on the rod, and the truth is revealed: the rod is steeped in chaotic evil. Even TerryOr backs away from it, his face pale with concern.

The mood shifts when Zert, the hired fighter, returns to reunite with the group. He’s made it safely to Hommlet, escorting the freed captives—a man and woman of high status from Highport. They’ve been through an ordeal, kidnapped weeks ago by a group of slavers working in league with the Temple of Elemental Evil. The captives reveal that hundreds of people have been taken from the Wild Coast, enslaved for the Temple’s nefarious purposes. The connections between the Temple and the slavers in Highport are now undeniable. Something must be done.

With the immediate crisis behind them, the group prepares for the next leg of their journey. They decide the moathouse will be their next destination, but first, they must resupply. They visit the trader’s establishment and gather the essentials:

• 2 mules (30 gp each)
• 2 horses (40 gp each)
• Large saddlebags (8 gp)
• A bow (40 gp)
• Rations for a week (10 gp)
• 20 iron spikes (5 gp)
• 10 days of grain for the animals (5 gp)

The mules are loaded with supplies—torches, oil, shovels, ropes, and weapons—ready for whatever dangers lie ahead. But as they finish their preparations, a heavy snowstorm blankets the village, dropping several feet of snow and making travel impossible. Reluctantly, they decide to delay their journey to the moathouse, waiting until the morning of Coldeven 3 to set out.

So ends Coldeven 2, 576 CY.